Chicago Sky star Kamilla Cardoso traded the hardwood for the stands on Monday, showing up in Houston draped in the green and yellow of her home country as Brazil battled Japan in a 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 32 thriller.
The matchup at Houston Stadium lived up to the hype. Japan stunned the five-time champions in the 29th minute when Kaishū Sano picked off a stray pass, drove past Casemiro, and finished from outside the box for his first international goal. Outlook India Brazil controlled the ball for most of the match but couldn’t crack Japan’s defense until the second half, when Casemiro redeemed himself for the earlier error by powering home a back-post header in the 78th minute to level things at 1-1. Outlook India
With the game seemingly headed to extra time, Brazil delivered a gut-punch finish. Gabriel Martinelli scored in the fifth minute of stoppage time, latching onto a pass from Bruno Guimarães to snatch a dramatic 2-1 victory and send Brazil through to the Round of 16. FIFA
Cardoso, the 6’7″ center who starred at South Carolina before becoming a top-three pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, was among the wave of Brazilian fans who packed Houston Stadium for the occasion. The win keeps Brazil’s championship pursuit alive — they’ll now face the winner of Côte d’Ivoire-Norway in the Round of 16 on July 5 at New York New Jersey Stadium. FIFA
It’s a fitting moment for Cardoso to soak in, given her own deep ties to Brazilian national-team competition — she’s represented Brazil internationally in basketball for years, including AmeriCup gold-medal runs and Olympic qualifying tournaments. Seeing the Seleção pull off a last-gasp escape against a stubborn Japan side was the kind of nail-biter that resonated with anyone who’s worn the canarinho on their own court.
