Ronaldinho’s emotional hug to Neymar before the friendly

Brazil advances as leader of Group C

Vinícius Junior scored two goals and Matheus Cunha one more as Brazil beat Scotland 3-0 on Wednesday, securing first place in Group C at the World Cup. Carlo Ancelotti’s team is seeking its first world title since 2002.

Real Madrid star Vinícius opened the scoring in the 7th minute after taking advantage of a Scottish defensive error. Before the break, he headed into an empty goal to make it 2-0. With this double, he has four goals in the group stage, equaling Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland. Lionel Messi leads the table with five.

Ancelotti highlighted the team’s progress after the 1-1 draw against Morocco in the debut.

“We are working to play the best we can. The goal is not to play well, but to win. If we win the World Cup, we play well. If not, we play badly.”

The return of Neymar

Neymar came on in the 76th minute as a substitute, recovered from a right calf injury. The crowd at Hard Rock Stadium chanted his name as he warmed up. The 34-year-old forward is Brazil’s all-time top scorer with 79 goals in 130 games.

“He deserved the opportunity. He did well, although he played few minutes,” Ancelotti said.

Brazil advances to the round of 16 for the fifteenth consecutive time. Morocco also qualified as second, after beating Haiti 4-2.

Scotland, which has not participated in a World Cup since 1998, has not made it past the group stage in nine attempts. Defender Nathan Patterson commented:

“We knew they have a first-class squad. They generate great threats. We gave them easy goals.”

Referee César Arturo Ramos Palazuelos established a new record for Mexican refereeing in World Cups. With his participation in the match between Scotland and Brazil, the Sinaloan player reached nine coached matches in the World Cup. He thus surpassed the mark of eight set by Armando Archundia in South Africa 2010.

A historical record

Ramos arrived at the 2026 North American edition with seven refereed matches: three in Russia 2018 and four in Qatar 2022. He only needed one designation to equal Archundia. That happened with the 2-2 draw between Iran and New Zealand. Nine days later, with the duel between Scotland and Brazil, he definitively broke the mark.

The native of Culiacán equaled the Argentine Néstor Pitana, also with nine games. Now he is two away from catching the Uzbek Ravshan Irmatov, who holds the absolute record with eleven. With the possibility of new appointments in the remainder of the tournament, Ramos can make history worldwide.

Matches he has directed in World Cups:

• Russia 2018: Brazil 1-1 Switzerland, Poland 0-3 Colombia, Uruguay 2-1 Portugal (eighth round)
• Qatar 2022: Denmark 0-0 Tunisia, Belgium 0-2 Morocco, Portugal 6-1 Switzerland (round of 16), France 2-2 Morocco (semifinal)
• North America 2026: Iran 2-2 New Zealand, Scotland vs Brazil (group stage)

César Ramos, former president of the FMF Referees Commission, continues to write his name in the history of national and international arbitration. His career demonstrates consistency and high level in the highest football competition.

Renard evaluates his future at the head of Tunisia

Hervé Renard, strategist of the Tunisian team, does not close the door on extending their relationship once the team’s participation in the World Cup concludes. “I am open to any conversation. Ready to listen to the project,” declared the 57-year-old Frenchman.

Renard arrived at the African team in the midst of chaos. Tunisia had terminated Sabri Lamouchi’s contract after losing 5-1 to Sweden. The new coach took office with a tough 4-0 defeat against Japan. With no chance of advancing to the second round, the team closes its participation against the Netherlands.

The coach, with experience in Zambia, Angola, Ivory Coast, Morocco and Saudi Arabia, assumes the responsibility. “I don’t look for excuses or blame others. I felt ashamed for what happened to Japan, especially for the Tunisians,” he said. “We are focused on the next game. We will try to find something elusive.”

Tunisia is the first team since Greece in 1994 to lose its first two World Cup games by at least four goals. However, goalkeeper Aymen Dahmen assures: “The group remains united. We just need to take responsibility.”

Renard’s contract expires after Thursday’s game. “Football demands pride, even when the situation is complicated. These situations must be faced with dignity until the end,” he concluded. Holland and Japan have four points in Group F, so the duel against the Dutch has weight for classification.