In the 96th minute at Houston Stadium, Ao Tanaka lost possession deep in his own defensive third under Brazil’s press. Bruno Guimarães pounced, slipped it to Gabriel Martinelli, and Japan’s World Cup dream was over. Brazil defeated them 2-1 to reach the round of 16, as their bench erupted and Japan’s players sank to the turf – especially Tanaka, who kept crying until he couldn’t stand. And that’s when one figure moved in the opposite direction. Neymar, who knows such heartbreaks all too well, walked straight toward Tanaka.

Alongside Matheus Cunha and reserve goalkeeper Weverton, Neymar lifted the Japanese midfielder off the ground and offered a few words of encouragement. Cunha, too, cupped Tanaka’s face in both hands and pressed his forehead against his. Tanaka, though, remained inconsolable, unable to get over the last-minute fumble. 

Tanaka entered the field in the 78th minute, with Brazil pushing for a second goal that would seal a win. He’d come on to shore up the midfield and help Japan win the ball back, with the aim of dragging the match into extra time.

But on Brazil’s right flank, Tanaka made a costly error, losing the ball on the edge of his box. Bruno Guimarães found Gabriel Martinelli, who finished past goalkeeper Zion Suzuki to make it 2-1. And while Tanaka’s mistake did lead directly to the goal, the bigger picture also housed the fact that Japan simply couldn’t get out of their own half for the final 15 minutes. Carlo Ancelotti’s side had them pinned back and never let them out.

That said, Monday’s loss was another painful chapter in Japan’s World Cup knockout story. They drew 1-1 with Croatia in the 2022 round of 16 only to lose 3-1 on penalties. In 2018, they held Belgium 2-0 before losing 3-2 to a 94th-minute winner. In 2010, Paraguay knocked them out 5-3 on penalties. Their first-ever knockout appearance, at the 2002 World Cup they co-hosted, ended in a 1-0 loss to Turkey.

Japan have now been knocked out five times in the World Cup’s knockout stage. Each time, falling just short. A few words from Neymar won’t change that record, but from someone who has stood in that darkness, they must have been the right words at the right time.

After Brazil’s quarterfinal penalty shootout loss to Croatia in 2022, Neymar had posted on Instagram: “I am psychologically destroyed. It is definitely the defeat which has hurt me the most, which left me paralysed for 10 minutes after the match, after which I burst into tears without being able to stop.”

He later said it felt like attending his own funeral: “I saw what my funeral would be like. I swear to God. I was in a small room, sitting there, and they were arriving. My family arrived, and more people kept coming. Everyone had red eyes, not saying a word.”

That’s the reservoir of pain he was drawing from when he walked across the pitch toward Tanaka.