The penalty missed by Bruno Guimarães in the 13th minute against Norway became one of the most debated moments of Brazil’s elimination from the 2026 World Cup. The action changed the course of a match that ended with the surprising defeat of the Canarinha.
The decision attracted attention because the person in charge of executing it was Guimarães and not Vinícius Júnior, a regular penalty taker for both Real Madrid and the Brazilian team. Nyland guessed the shot and avoided the first goal of the game.
The play sparked an intense debate among Brazilian fans, who questioned why Vinícius did not take responsibility in a match of such importance. So far, Carlo Ancelotti’s coaching staff has not given an official explanation.
🇧🇷 Bruno Guimaraes misses the penalty and the score remains 0-0. 🤦♂️pic.twitter.com/PAec4nT4dk
— Alee (@ImAleeJeje) July 5, 2026
Everything indicates that the choice responded to a prior agreement between the players or a decision made from the bench. The surprise was greater due to the weight that Vinícius has as one of Brazil’s main offensive figures.
The ruling became more relevant at the end of the match, when Neymar converted a second penalty to score 2-1, although the reaction was not enough. The great unknown remains: If Vinícius was available and is the usual kicker, why didn’t he take the penalty that could have changed Brazil’s destiny?