Brazilian forward Neymar took to social media to poke fun at German economist Joachim Klement after Brazil overturned an early deficit to defeat Japan 2-1 and secure a place in the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Klement, who gained attention for correctly predicting the winners of the 2014, 2018 and 2022 World Cups, had forecast that Japan would eliminate Brazil in the knockout stage. He also tipped the Netherlands to lift the trophy in the tournament.
For a large part of the match, his prediction appeared to be on course as Japan entered halftime with a 1-0 lead. However, Brazil responded strongly in the second half, with Casemiro scoring the equaliser before Gabriel Martinelli struck a dramatic late winner to complete the comeback and send the five-time world champions through.
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Following the victory, Neymar reacted on his official X account by jokingly calling out Klement over the failed prediction. The Santos star wrote, “Mr. Joachim Klement… please try harder at the next World Cup,” accompanied by a winking emoji.
Klement had previously defended his prediction in an interview, arguing that although Brazil have a rich football history, he believed the current squad was not performing at the level of previous generations.
Brazil’s comeback victory ended Japan’s impressive World Cup campaign and ensured Carlo Ancelotti’s side advanced to the Round of 16, keeping alive their hopes of winning another world title.
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