Marquinhos: Brazil dismantled Japan's game before the playoffs

The central defender of the Brazilian national team, Marquinhos, shared his expectations for the 1/16 final match of the 2026 World Cup against Japan. His words are quoted by Globo. "Of course, the match against Japan will be special for us. It will be a very difficult game, but we are ready. We have trained, analyzed the opponent and prepared a plan for the match. We need to neutralize the Japanese national team competently - it is a very strong team that has deservedly reached this stage. We also understand that a lot depends on our own game," Marquinhos said. The defender also noted the team's progress during the tournament. "We added in the last matches. Maybe we didn't start the tournament in the best way, but in the second game we played better, and in the third - even stronger. Now it's important to use all the accumulated experience. Now a completely different tournament is starting. The group stage is one thing, the main thing there was to get to the playoffs. And the elimination matches are already a new competition. We need to move step by step," he added. The match between Brazil and Japan will take place on Monday, June 29, at 20:00 Kyiv time. In case of victory, Brazil will play in the 1/8 finals with the winner of the pair Ivory Coast - Norway.