Why Japan are Neymar's favourite opponents

With Brazil preparing to face Japan on Monday, FIFA examines Neymar's past feats against the national team he has scored the most goals against. After an absence of almost 1,000 days, Neymar is fully back in the Brazil fold. The 34-year-old got his first minutes of the FIFA World Cup 2026™ under his belt during the 3-0 win over Scotland and now faces a Round of 32 clash with his favourite opponents, Japan.

Neymar's Record Against Japan

No team have been on the receiving end of more Neymar goals. He has nine against Japan, with Peru (six) the next on his list, followed by Bolivia, Ecuador and the USA (five). Neymar is Brazil's record scorer with 79 goals from 129 matches, two more than Pelé. He made his Brazil debut back in 2010 at the age of 18. Now in his mid-thirties, he has joined Pelé, Ronaldo and Cafu as the only Brazil players to have competed at four World Cup tournaments.

First Encounter: 2012 Friendly

Neymar's first-ever outing against Japan came on 16 October 2012 in a friendly in Poland that ended in a 4-0 victory. He scored twice in that match, one from the penalty spot and the other courtesy of an Oscar assist, while also setting up a goal for Kaká. He was 20 years old at the time and was playing for Santos, the club he returned to in 2025. The Brazilian press dubbed him a wonder boy.

Second Meeting: 2013 Confederations Cup

The second meeting came on the opening day of the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, on 15 June in Brasília. Neymar drew first blood after just three minutes with a superb volley from outside the box, a goal which was voted his finest in a Canarinha shirt in a poll by Globo Esporte in 2020. His coach, Luiz Felipe Scolari, said after the match that Neymar was a "star". Brazil emerged victorious at the tournament, with Neymar awarded the Golden Ball. He featured among the top scorers with four goals, behind only Spain's Fernando Torres and compatriot Fred. Shortly after that Confederations Cup, he signed for Barcelona and moved across the Atlantic.

Third Encounter: Four-Goal Masterclass in 2014

Arguably Neymar's best performance against Japan came in his third encounter with them on Tuesday, 14 October 2014. The two nations met in a friendly in Singapore, with Neymar emerging as the star of the show. Brazil romped to a 4-0 win, with the then-Barcelona player netting all four goals, assisted by Diego Tardelli, Philippe Coutinho (twice) and Kaká. He could have had five to his name, had a free-kick not bounced back off the goal frame. "Just the thought of it gives me goosebumps," he said immediately afterwards. "It's an overwhelming feeling. I'm over the moon to have achieved something like this. Not even in my wildest dreams could I have imagined reaching these heights with the national team. I'm lost for words." It was the first four-goal haul by a Brazil player since Romário had achieved the feat in 2000, and it took Neymar to 40 goals for his country after his first 58 appearances. The then Brazil coach, Dunga, waxed lyrical about his creativity, saying: "He enjoys playing at the highest level. For him, it's like he's having a kick-about with his mates."

Other Four-Goal Hauls and a Five-Goal Game

Neymar has managed four goals in a game at various other points of his career, wearing the shirts of Brazil's U-20s, Santos, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain. He even once hit five in a single game, in an 8-1 thrashing of Guarani in the Copa do Brasil in 2010. Indeed, Guarani are the only team to have conceded more goals to Neymar than Japan, with a grand total of 10.

Recent Meetings: 2017 and 2022

To move to more recent times, Neymar also found the back of the net in Brazil's victories over Japan on 10 November 2017 (3-1) and 6 June 2022 (1-0), both times as a PSG player. With those goals, he reached his total of nine from just five games. If given minutes, the veteran's sixth game will come this Monday in the Round of 32, with Brazilian hopes high that the sight of those Japan shirts will bring out the best in him once more.