Vinicius Junior scored twice to guide Brazil to top spot in Group C and into the round of 32 at the World Cup with a 3-0 win over Scotland.

Brazil were not quite assured of a top-two finish, but got the win they needed to stay ahead of Morocco in the standings thanks to a strong first half in Miami.

Vinicius got his brace before half-time – having a third goal ruled out – with Matheus Cunha securing the victory on the hour, and Scotland now face a nervous wait to see if they are one of the best third-placed teams.

Scotland played themselves into trouble seven minutes in as a dawdling Scott McKenna was closed down by Rayan, who stepped in to tee up Vinicius as he rounded Angus Gunn and slotted into an empty net.

Another Scotland mistake looked to have gifted Vinicius a second after Jack Hendry had his pocket picked on the edge of the box. But VAR deemed the 25-year-old had fouled the defender – having stepped across him – and Scotland were given a reprieve.

Brazil upped the pressure at the end of the first half, with Lewis Ferguson clearing a poked Cunha effort off the line before an unmarked Vinicius peeled away at the back post to nod in Bruno Guimaraes' cross in the third minute of first-half stoppage time.

Gunn then made himself big to block Rayan's low curler on the stroke of half-time, but it was Scotland who had the first chance after the break as Scott McTominay headed straight at Alisson.

Vinicius saw his chance for a hat-trick smothered by Gunn, but Cunha coolly slotted past the goalkeeper on the hour mark after Guimaraes unselfishly picked him out.

Scotland did not sit back, though, with Alisson forced to push behind Ferguson's free-kick before scrambling to keep out another McTominay header from the resulting corner. 

Neymar's long-awaited return came in the 76th minute, as he entered as a substitute in a World Cup match for the first time, and he slid in Vinicius for what could have been a hat-trick goal, if not for another sharp Gunn save.

Scotland almost pulled back what could have been a vital consolation in the 95th minute, but McTominay's poked effort from a recycled corner was held by Alisson.

Brazil ramp up the pressure as Vinicius shines

Scotland started well in possession, but they crumbled under Brazil's press, with Vinicius the main beneficiary, and he may feel aggrieved to not walk away with the match ball after having one ruled out for a soft foul.

Three of his five goals at the World Cup have been openers for the Selecao, and he has now been involved in more than half of Brazil's goals across the last two World Cups, contributing to eight of their 15 goals (five goals, three assists).

Vinicius is also the fifth Brazilian player to score in all three group-stage matches of a single World Cup finals, following in the footsteps of Jairzinho (1970), Romario (1994) and both Ronaldo Nazario and Rivaldo (2002); Brazil went on to win the trophy on each of those three previous occasions.

Brazil were truly on top in the first half as they attempted 11 shots, their highest tally before half-time in a World Cup match since 2018 (11 vs Mexico in the last 16).

Guimaraes was also effective, providing two assists in a single match for the first time for them, creating three chances overall (only Lucas Paqueta and Rayan had more – both four).

For Scotland, the third-place table could come down to goal difference, and this result has done a bit of damage. They did not shy away from the challenge of facing Brazil, though, having 14 shots overall. However, the quality of their chances was reflected in their 1.13 expected goals, with Carlo Ancelotti's side racking up 4.46 xG from 21 attempts.