The teams had met once in the World Cup, in Brazil's 2–0 group stage victory in 2018. With Serbia playing as Yugoslavia, the sides had met 18 times, including four encounters in FIFA World Cup group stages: in 1930, 1950, 1954 and 1974, with one victory for each and two draws.
After a goalless first half, Richarlison opened the scoring for Brazil in the 62nd minute, when he followed up to finish after Serbian goalkeeper Vanja Milinković-Savić saved Vinícius Júnior's low shot from the left, with Neymar initially creating the chance.[2] Richarlison then made it 2–0 eleven minutes later when he controlled the ball from Vinícius Júnior before finishing to the left of the net with an over-the-shoulder acrobatic right-footed kick. Casemiro hit the woodwork and Fred also had a shot saved with Brazil running out comfortable 2–0 winners.[3]
The teams had met nine times prior, including two draws coming in World Cup group stage matches: 2–2 in 1950 and 1–1 in 2018.
Brazil started the game without the injured Neymar, who was ruled out for the remainder of the group stage after spraining his ankle in the previous match.[5] The only goal of the game was scored by Brazilian midfielder Casemiro in the 83rd minute, when his deflected right-footed shot from inside the penalty area struck the top corner of the net.
The win secured Brazil's passage to the knockout stage, and was their first victory in three attempts against Switzerland at the FIFA World Cup.[6]
The teams had previously met six times, including in two World Cup group stage games, both won by Brazil: a 3–0 victory in 1994 and a 4–1 win in 2014.
Brazil, already assured a place in the knockout stage, made ten changes to their previous starting lineup. Despite the Brazilians having the majority of the game's chances, Cameroon would take the lead in second-half stoppage time, after Vincent Aboubakar ran into the penalty area to head the cross from Jerome Ngom Mbekeli on the right into the net's bottom corner from six yards out.[8]
Aboubakar celebrated the goal by removing his shirt, receiving a second yellow card and thus being sent off.[9]
The match marked Brazil's first defeat in the group stage of a World Cup since losing to Norway in 1998. Despite their loss, Brazil clinched top spot in Group G on goal difference as they progressed to the knockout stage. Although they were still eliminated, Cameroon became the first African team to defeat Brazil at a World Cup, with this victory also being their first at the tournament since beating Saudi Arabia in 2002. This result also meant that no team finished the group stage of the World Cup with a perfect winning record for the first time since 1994.
The teams had previously met seven times, with Brazil winning six and South Korea winning one of these encounters. The most recent meeting was in June 2022, a 5–1 friendly win for Brazil.[11]
Vinícius Júnior opened the scoring for Brazil in the 7th minute, when he converted a side-footed shot to the right of the net past three Korean defenders on the line. Brazil were awarded a penalty six minutes later when Richarlison was fouled just inside the penalty area, which the returning Neymar scored with a low shot to the right corner of the goalkeeper, who didn't move. Richarlison made it 3–0 in the 29th minute when he controlled the ball with his head before receiving the ball back from Thiago Silva and passing into the left corner of the net. Lucas Paquetá got Brazil's fourth goal before half-time in the 36th minute, volleying low into the left corner of the net with his right foot after a cross from Vinícius Júnior on the left. In the second half, South Korea pulled a goal back when Paik Seung-ho finished into the right of the net from thirty yards out. With ten minutes left and leading by three goals, Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson was substituted for third-choice keeper Weverton, making Brazil the first team to ever use 26 different players play time in one World Cup.[12][13]
The match was the last held at the Stadium 974 before its demolition.[14]
The teams had met on four previous occasions, with three wins for Brazil and one draw. Two of these encounters took place in the World Cup group stage, with Brazil winning both matches: 1–0 in 2006 and 3–1 in 2014 (Brazil was hosting the World Cup at the time, with the victory being the opening match of that tournament).[16]
Brazil created the majority of the game's chances, forcing Croatian keeper Dominik Livaković into eleven saves, the most in a single match at the tournament. Early in the second half, a handball in the Croatian penalty area by Croatian defender Josip Juranović was dismissed by the referee after being deemed accidental. Following a scoreless ninety minutes, Neymar finally claimed the opener just before half-time of extra time with his 77th international goal, bringing him level with Péle as the nation's all-time top scorer; after receiving the ball back from Lucas Paquetá, Neymar rounded Livaković and shot high into the net from the right side of the penalty area. A defensive lapse then cost Brazil their lead, as Bruno Petković equalised for Croatia three minutes from the end; after picking out Mislav Oršić's cross on the left flank, he fired a shot into the corner of the net that took a deflection off the leg of Brazilian defender Marquinhos. This would be Croatia's only shot on target of the game. In the subsequent penalty shoot-out, Croatia scored all four of their attempts, while Brazil's first kicker Rodrygo had his shot saved by Livaković diving to his left, before Marquinhos hit his penalty low against the left post to confirm Brazil's elimination.[17]
Croatia qualified for their second successive World Cup semi-finals and their third ever, while Brazil exited the tournament at the hands of a European team for the fifth consecutive edition; their 2002 World Cup final triumph against Germany remained their last knockout stage win against European opposition. In the same period, Brazil was eliminated at the quarter-final stage in all four World Cup tournaments they played away from home, excluding a fourth-place finish at the 2014 tournament which they hosted.