Brazil sambaed their way into the World Cup knockout stage with a commanding 3-0 victory over Scotland on Wednesday, powered by a brace from Vinicius Junior and the long-awaited return of Neymar.
Vinicius struck twice before a packed crowd at Miami Stadium as Brazil finished atop Group C with seven points. The 64,478 fans in attendance also witnessed an emotional moment when Neymar stepped onto the field for his first appearance in Brazil's famous yellow shirt since October 2023.
The in-form Vinicius has now scored in every match of the tournament. His four goals place him alongside Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland on the scoring charts, with only Lionel Messi ahead of him.
"We played well, much like we did against Haiti, but this was a more complete performance and we're pleased," Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti said.
"Now comes the best part. There were many positives. We kept a clean sheet, and Neymar's return is important. He can help us a great deal."
Scotland boss Steve Clarke had predicted Brazil would attack from the outset, and the South Americans needed only seven minutes to prove him right and take the lead when Scott McKenna failed to clear the ball, allowing Rayan to pounce and find Vinicius unmarked.
As goalkeeper Angus Gunn scrambled to stop him, the Real Madrid forward took one touch to move the ball past him before tapping into an empty net as the fans in yellow erupted.
Brazil nearly made it 2-0 before the first hydration break when Vinicius dispossessed Jack Hendry and scored, but Scotland earned a reprieve after a VAR review overturned the goal for a foul by the Brazilian.
That remained the theme of the first half, with Brazil the more aggressive side while Scotland failed to capitalize on its set-piece opportunities and finished the half without a shot on target.
Brazil twisted the knife on the stroke of halftime, winning the ball high up the pitch before Bruno Guimarães crossed to the far post, where Vinicius headed home his second goal.
The two-goal cushion unleashed Brazil's full repertoire of tricks as it sliced through Scotland's midfield with flicks and one-touch passes that left Clarke's side relieved to hear the halftime whistle.
Brazil continued pressing for a third goal, and it came through another incisive move in midfield as Guimarães collected his second assist, dancing into the box before setting up Matheus Cunha for his third goal of the tournament.
"It's a dream come true. The first match was tough, the second was better, and now it's even better," Cunha said.
"I believe we're improving, and we're going all out to achieve our goal, to win our sixth title."
Scotland finally tested Alisson for the first time in the 64th minute when the goalkeeper parried a header, but a roar of approval from the Tartan Army was quickly drowned out by Brazilian fans singing in unison.
The biggest cheer of the night, however, was reserved for Neymar as Ancelotti introduced the 34-year-old, who linked up with Vinicius and created three chances in 13 minutes.
Scotland's attacking efforts remained toothless, and Alisson stood firm in goal, denying one final opportunity in the closing minutes as Brazil preserved the clean sheet.
"We gave them the goals. We gave them the game we wanted. We're disappointed," Clarke said.
The result leaves Scotland waiting to see whether it can qualify as one of the best third-placed teams, with three points but a damaging goal difference of minus-3.
