Group C · Matchday 3
BrazilvsScotland
2026-06-24·18:00 localPredictions finalised
The forecast
Match-outcome probability
- Brazil win61.1%
- Draw24.4%
- Scotland win14.4%
A clash of identities: Brazil's high-press approach meets Scotland's low-block style in a fixture the model gives to Brazil at 74%.
Why the model says this
Favoring Brazil
- ·Brazil's expected goals (xG) output is significantly higher at 2.11 compared to Scotland's 0.64.
- ·Brazil holds a substantial Elo rating advantage of 217 points over Scotland.
- ·In 10 head-to-head encounters, Brazil has won 8 matches and drawn 2, never losing to Scotland.
- ·Brazil's FIFA ranking of 5 is considerably higher than Scotland's ranking of 36.
Favoring Scotland
- ·Scotland's 'Low block' archetype and low press intensity (18.8 percentile PPDA) indicate a defensive strategy designed to absorb pressure.
- ·Scotland has secured 3 wins in their last 6 matches, including important FIFA World Cup qualification victories.
What the model can't fully price
- ·The model does not account for the fitness doubts of 4 players across both squads, including 3 projected starters, as its lineup channel currently contributes zero.
Form check
Brazil
SteadyBrazil's recent form is mixed, with 3 wins, 1 draw, and 2 losses in their last six matches. This includes a 3-1 victory and a 1-2 defeat in their most recent friendlies.
Brazil has scored 14 goals in their last 6 matches, averaging 2.33 goals per game.
Scotland
DecliningScotland's form shows a recent decline, with consecutive losses in their last two friendly matches (0-1 each). Prior to that, they had secured 3 wins and 1 loss in FIFA World Cup qualification.
Scotland has failed to score in their last two matches.
Analysis
How it plays out
Brazil's high press game meets Scotland's low block shape. Scotland will concede territory deliberately and look to hit the spaces Brazil's high line leaves behind. Brazil's aggressive press (PPDA 17.1) against Scotland's deeper build-up (PPDA 26.0) creates a clear territory question: can Brazil force errors high up, or will Scotland play through the press and find space behind it?
What decides it
Brazil press high (PPDA 17.1). If the press doesn't win the ball early, the space behind their back line becomes exposed. Scotland defend deep and limit space. Set pieces and individual errors become the most likely routes to goal. Raphinha's 16.5% scoring probability is the highest in this fixture. Containing that output is Scotland's primary defensive task.
Off the pitch
Steve Clarke (7 years in charge of Scotland) vs Carlo Ancelotti (1 years). That tenure gap shows up in squad familiarity and set-piece coordination.
The angle
The model gives Scotland just 14.4% to win. Every World Cup produces group-stage upsets; the question is whether this fixture is one of them.
▸Goals & scorelines
Likeliest score 2–0 (15.1%) · xG 2.1 - 0.6
Expected goals
Mean of the Dixon-Coles joint goal distribution. Same fit that produces the most-likely-scoreline list below.
Most likely scorelines
- 2–015.1%
- 1–013.7%
- 3–010.8%
- 2–18.7%
- 1–18.7%
From the Dixon-Coles joint Poisson with the low-score correction. Scorelines are listed in probability order; this is a description of the model's distribution, not a recommendation.
Most likely half-time scorelines
- 1–027.0%
- 0–026.2%
- 2–014.7%
- 1–18.4%
- 0–17.0%
Same Dixon-Coles fit as the full-time list above, with rates halved to a 45-minute window and the low-score correction applied to that 1st-half block. The 0-0 row sits higher here than at full-time because fewer minutes have elapsed.
Goal totals
- More than 0.5 goals92.9%
- More than 1.5 goals75.9%
- More than 2.5 goals51.0%
- More than 3.5 goals28.9%
- More than 4.5 goals13.9%
- More than 5.5 goals5.8%
- Both teams score39.2%
Each row is the probability the match finishes with more than the listed number of goals. Both-teams-to-score is the probability each side scores at least once. All values are marginals of the Dixon-Coles joint goal grid that produces the scoreline list above — not market lines or any other operator construct.
Event-typed probabilities
- Brazil clean sheetOpposing team scores zero56.1%
- Scotland clean sheetOpposing team scores zero11.8%
Derived from the same Dixon-Coles joint distribution as the scoreline list. These are descriptive event probabilities — see CLAUDE.md §3/§4 (formerly COMPLIANCE.md §4.2.7) for the framing the project uses.
Win-margin probability
- Brazil by 4+11.8%
- Brazil by 3+26.3%
- Brazil by 2+48.7%
- Brazil by 1+73.1%
- Draw18.7%
- Scotland by 1+8.2%
- Scotland by 2+2.0%
- Scotland by 3+0.3%
- Scotland by 4+<0.1%
Each row is the probability the match ends with the listed margin or larger in that direction. Marginal of the Dixon-Coles joint goal grid; the “by 1+” rows plus the draw row sum to 1.
▸How the match unfolds
Over 2.5 goals 51.0% · BTTS 39.2%
Game state through the match
- Brazil ahead73.6%
- Level17.7%
- Scotland ahead8.7%
Probability of each game state at minutes 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, 90 — derived from two independent thinned-Poisson processes with the Dixon-Coles per-team rates. The three lines always sum to 1 at each minute. The right column shows the state at the match's closing minute.
When the first goal arrives
- 0–1536.4%
- 15–3023.2%
- 30–4514.7%
- 45–609.4%
- 60–756.0%
- 75–903.8%
- No goal6.6%
Probability the match's first goal arrives in each 15-minute window. Homogeneous Poisson with combined rate λ = λh + λa from the Dixon-Coles fit; the seven rows (six windows + no-goal tail) sum to 1.
Half-time / full-time grid
| HT ↓ / FT → | HBrazil win | DDraw | AScotland win |
|---|---|---|---|
| HBrazil ahead | 51.9% | 2.9% | 0.4% |
| DLevel | 19.7% | 12.1% | 3.5% |
| AScotland ahead | 2.0% | 2.8% | 4.6% |
Each cell is P(half-time result, full-time result). All nine cells sum to 1. Derived from a halved-λ Dixon-Coles fit for the first half plus an independent-Poisson second-half convolution.
Comeback probability
- Brazil trail at HT, avoid defeat at FT4.8%
- Scotland trail at HT, avoid defeat at FT3.4%
Joint probability — P(side trailing at half-time AND avoiding defeat at full-time). NOT conditional on trailing at HT. Derived from the same half-time / full-time decomposition that produces the HT/FT grid above; a tied first half is neither a home nor an away comeback opportunity.
Cards
- Expected yellow cardsMean of the Poisson on total yellow cards.3.45
- Total yellows over 2.567.0%
- Total yellows over 3.545.3%
- Total yellows over 4.526.5%
- Any red cardP(at least one red card in the match).9.5%
Referee not yet assigned. Using the 2026 pool-mean per-match rate as a placeholder; the model picks up the referee's personal rate once the assignment is published. Total yellow cards modelled as a Poisson with mean equal to two team baselines plus the referee's deviation from the pool mean. Reds are modelled the same way, independently. See /docs/methodology/.
▸Teams & players
Top scorer: Raphinha (16.5%)
Match detail
Brazil
Model-rated key players: Raphinha (FW) — P(scores) 16.5%; Gabriel Jesus (FW) — P(scores) 9.8%; Neymar (FW) — P(scores) 7.1%.
Brazil under Carlo Ancelotti play a high press game, holding 58% of the ball — among the highest in the tournament field. Their likely shape is a 4-2-3-1, though they have also used 4-3-3. They apply moderate pressing intensity (PPDA 17.1) and build patiently through midfield with 7.2 passes per attacking sequence. They generate a high volume of shots (16.5 per 90).
Brazil need their high press to force turnovers in dangerous areas — if opponents can play through the press, the space left behind is vulnerable. Physical conditioning and squad rotation will be critical to sustain pressing intensity across a long tournament.
Scotland
Model-rated key players: Ché Adams (FW) — P(scores) 2.1%; Lyndon Dykes (FW) — P(scores) 1.7%; George Hirst (FW) — P(scores) 1.6%.
Scotland under Steve Clarke play a low block game, with just 44% possession — among the lowest in the field. They apply moderate pressing intensity (PPDA 26.0) and move the ball forward quickly at 5.7 passes per attack. They are selective in their shooting (9.2 per 90).
Scotland will look to stay compact and frustrate opponents, limiting space and hitting on the break. Set-piece proficiency — both attacking and defending — becomes critical when open-play chances are limited by design.
Brazil's predicted XI averages 1,628 club minutes over the 2024-25 season (light load). Scotland's predicted XI averages 1,545 club minutes over the 2024-25 season (light load).
Brazil coverage: 67.0% (10/11 XI matched against the FBref Big-5) · Scotland: 64.0% (9/11).
Brazil historically converts 10.8% of xG from set-pieces, contributing 0.23 expected set-piece goals in this fixture. Scotland converts 13.8% from set-pieces (0.08 expected). Combined, the model expects 0.31 set-piece goals across the 90 minutes.
- P(Brazil scores set-piece goal) 20.7%
- P(Scotland scores set-piece goal) 7.7%
- P(set-piece goal in match) 26.8%
Brazil: Matheus Pereira on corners (84 corners) (per fbref 2020 21) · Scotland: Andy Robertson on corners (27 corners), Kenny McLean on free kicks (per fbref 2022 23)
If a penalty is awarded to Brazil, the model gives 72.0% conversion, 72.0% for Scotland.
Brazil primary PK: Raphinha (4/4 in 2021-22, per fbref 2020 21).
Derived from the model's per-fixture forecast joint and supporting reference data (predicted squads, set-piece xG share, PK posteriors, club minutes). See /docs/methodology/ for the full methodology.
Tactical forecast
- PPDA
- 17.1
- Possession
- 58%
- Directness (yds/pass)
- 4.8
- Long balls/90
- 23
- Set-piece xG
- 11%
- PPDA
- 26.0
- Possession
- 44%
- Directness (yds/pass)
- 5.8
- Long balls/90
- 43
- Set-piece xG
- 14%
Style profile per side from StatsBomb open-data aggregation across recent international tournaments (Euro 2020/2024, Copa America 2024, AFCON 2023, World Cup 2018/2022). The tactical-fingerprint badge maps each team’s observed style vector into one of eight canonical archetypes via a rule-based classifier; teams with fewer than three matches of qualifying coverage carry an “insufficient-data” label rather than being forced into a default. Sides outside the StatsBomb-open corpus use FotMob team match stats from recent qualifiers and friendlies instead (possession and shot volume only), marked as partial coverage. PPDA = passes the side allows per defensive action (lower = more intense press). Formation distributions are not yet produced — that head of the §2.7 classifier is pending its own data pull. See /docs/methodology/.
Squad depth
Most irreplaceable starters
Brazil
- Bruno GuimarãesCentral midfieldNo natural backup0.67gap
- Lucas PaquetáAttacking midfieldNo natural backup0.45gap
- CasemiroDefensive midfieldCover: Fabinho · 0.440.42gap
Scotland
- Ryan ChristieCentral midfieldCover: Lewis Ferguson · 0.300.50gap
- Scott McTominayCentral midfieldCover: Lewis Ferguson · 0.300.45gap
- John McGinnCentral midfieldCover: Lewis Ferguson · 0.300.34gap
Gap = how far a side's rating at the position falls from the starter to his likely in-squad replacement (named under each name). Larger = harder to replace. Descriptive metric, does not feed the published probabilities. Methodology →
Match conditions
- AltitudeNear sea level3 m
- Avg temperatureFive-year mean over the tournament window27.0 °C
- Avg humidity82%
- Heat stressShade WBGT ~30.7 °CHigh heat stress
- Pitch surfacenatural grass
Already plays on natural Bermudagrass; no turf conversion needed.
Heat stress is a shade Wet-Bulb Globe Temperature proxy from the venue's climatology mean temperature and humidity; FIFA mandates cooling breaks at WBGT 32 °C. Evening kickoff (local time). These are long-window averages, not a match-day forecast, and they are not inputs to the forecast.
Top scorers · P(scores in this match)
- Ché AdamsFW2.1%
- Lyndon DykesFW1.7%
- George HirstFW1.6%
Per-player scoring rate from Model #5 (`p_score_per_match`). Reflects each player's npxG/90, expected minutes, team xG share, and the average opposing-team defence. See /docs/methodology/.
Recent match form
Last match player ratings
Brazil
vs Japan · avg 7.0
Scotland
vs Morocco · avg 6.4
Worked well: They scored an early goal and consistently created dangerous opportunities, demonstrating effective offensive movement.
Struggled: Despite numerous chances, Morocco failed to extend their lead, missing opportunities to put the match beyond doubt.
Player scores from official highlight analysis of each team's most recent match. Observational, not a model input. Methodology →
Video analysis: player performance
Per-player ratings and event breakdowns from official highlights analysis. Tap a player to see their full match timeline.
9Vinicius Jr.Scored two crucial goals, including the opener, and was a relentless attacking force throughout the match.
Scored two crucial goals, including the opener, and was a relentless attacking force throughout the match.
8Bruno Guimarães40'–60'Delivered a crucial assist for Brazil's third goal, showcasing excellent vision and precise passing from midfield.
1shots1on target1headers▼
Delivered a crucial assist for Brazil's third goal, showcasing excellent vision and precise passing from midfield.
Match timeline
8Gabriel Martinelli90'–90'Scored a decisive goal with a close-range finish, contributing to Brazil's dominant performance.
1goals▼
Scored a decisive goal with a close-range finish, contributing to Brazil's dominant performance.
Match timeline
7RuanDisplayed good attacking intent, creating opportunities and forcing the opposition goalkeeper into saves.
Displayed good attacking intent, creating opportunities and forcing the opposition goalkeeper into saves.
7Alisson70'–90'Made two crucial saves against McTominay, ensuring Brazil maintained their clean sheet and secured the victory.
3saves▼
Made two crucial saves against McTominay, ensuring Brazil maintained their clean sheet and secured the victory.
Match timeline
6Neymar Jr.75'–75'Played a limited role as a late substitute, without enough time to make a significant impact on the game.
▼
Played a limited role as a late substitute, without enough time to make a significant impact on the game.
Match timeline
6CasemiroPlayed a standard role in midfield, contributing to ball retention and defensive stability without notable individual highlights.
1goals1headers▼
Played a standard role in midfield, contributing to ball retention and defensive stability without notable individual highlights.
Match timeline
7Angus Gunn49'–85'Made several impressive saves throughout the match, preventing Brazil from scoring an even larger number of goals.
2saves▼
Made several impressive saves throughout the match, preventing Brazil from scoring an even larger number of goals.
Match timeline
6Nathan PattersonMade a vital goal-line block, showing commitment in a challenging defensive performance for Scotland.
1blocks▼
Made a vital goal-line block, showing commitment in a challenging defensive performance for Scotland.
Match timeline
6Scott McTominay70'–90'Was one of Scotland's few attacking threats, forcing the Brazilian goalkeeper into making saves.
3shots3on target2headers▼
Was one of Scotland's few attacking threats, forcing the Brazilian goalkeeper into making saves.
Match timeline
5Scott McKennaWas part of a Scottish defense that struggled to contain Brazil's attacking prowess and conceded multiple goals.
Was part of a Scottish defense that struggled to contain Brazil's attacking prowess and conceded multiple goals.
5Kieran TierneyWas part of a Scottish defensive line that found it difficult to cope with Brazil's relentless attacking pressure.
Was part of a Scottish defensive line that found it difficult to cope with Brazil's relentless attacking pressure.
5Lewis FergusonHad limited impact, with only one defensive action noted in a match where Scotland struggled to gain control.
▼
Had limited impact, with only one defensive action noted in a match where Scotland struggled to gain control.
Match timeline
Match observations
- Brazil secured a comfortable 3-0 victory over Scotland in Miami. The match saw Brazil's attacking prowess on full display, with quick goals setting the tone early on.
- Scotland struggled to contain Brazil's fluid offensive movements and individual skill, particularly in the first half.
- Despite the scoreline, Scotland's goalkeeper, Angus Gunn, made several notable saves to limit Brazil's advantage.
▸Under the hood
Model-by-model comparison
Brazil vs Scotland
| Model | Weight | Home | Draw | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EloRating-based strength estimate | 32% | 68.0% | 22.0% | 10.0% |
| Dixon-ColesGoal-process model with low-score correction | 63% | 73.0% | 18.7% | 8.3% |
| Hierarchical PoissonBayesian model with confederation pooling | 6% | 69.5% | 20.3% | 10.2% |
| Bayesian stackingLearned-weight combination | — | 79.8% | 17.4% | 2.8% |
| Ensemble (published)Uniform average + isotonic calibration | — | 74.4% | 20.8% | 4.8% |
How each model works
- Elo
- Each team carries a single strength rating updated after every match by a margin-aware K-factor. Match probabilities come from the logistic function of the rating gap. Elo is fast-adapting but coarse — it sees only who won and by how much, not how the goals were scored.
- Dixon-Coles
- A Poisson regression on team-level attack and defence parameters, fitted via maximum likelihood with an exponential time-decay weighting. The Dixon-Coles correction adjusts the four low-score cells (0-0, 1-0, 0-1, 1-1) where independent Poisson underestimates dependence. Produces full scoreline distributions, not just H/D/A.
- Hierarchical Poisson
- A Bayesian Poisson model fitted via MCMC (PyMC) with hierarchical priors that pool attack and defence parameters within confederations. Shrinks small-sample teams toward their confederation mean — helpful for nations with few recent competitive fixtures. Slower to fit but better-calibrated on the tails.
- Bayesian stacking
- Optimises simplex weights (w_elo, w_dc, w_hp) to maximise the leave-one-out log-score across a walk-forward backtest (Yao et al. 2018). The result is a weighted average of the three component models' probabilities, then isotonic-calibrated. Adds no extra features — just learns which component to trust more from historical accuracy.
- Ensemble (published)
- Equal-weight average of all three component models, followed by per-class isotonic regression calibration fitted on 24 months of walk-forward out-of-fold predictions. This is the probability published on the site. The uniform mean is deliberately simple — it avoids overfitting to the stacking weights' training window.
Three independent component models feed two combination strategies. The uniform ensemble is the published probability; Bayesian stacking uses learned weights. Amber bars flag >5pp divergence from the published number. Full methodology
Probability decomposition (transparency surface)
- Baseline ensemble — P(Brazil win)70.1%
- + Lineup contribution0.0pp
- + Style-matchup contribution+1.4pp
- Published P(Brazil win)71.5%
Decomposition of the published P(Brazil win) into the calibrated- baseline plus contributions from the §2.3 expected-XI lineup delta and the §2.7 style-matchup interaction. The §2.7 roadmap is explicit that style effects are second-order to team strength — single-digit-percentage P(win) shifts on extreme style matchups, near-zero on balanced ones. We surface the decomposition for transparency even when the contributions are small; the baseline carries the prediction. Methodology: /docs/methodology.
Head-to-head history
| Date | Competition | Venue | Score | Result | xG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 Mar 2011 | Friendly | NLondon | 2–0 | W | — |
| 10 Jun 1998 | FIFA World Cup | NSaint-Denis | 2–1 | W | — |
| 20 Jun 1990 | FIFA World Cup | NTurin | 1–0 | W | — |
| 26 May 1987 | Rous Cup | AGlasgow | 2–0 | W | — |
| 18 Jun 1982 | FIFA World Cup | NSeville | 4–1 | W | — |
| 23 Jun 1977 | Friendly | HRio de Janeiro | 2–0 | W | — |
Brazil vs Scotland, every senior international meeting in the martj42 results dataset (score from Brazil's perspective; H/A/N = home/away/neutral). See all 10 meetings →
Latest news & match context
- Brazil’s World Cup Collapse Revives Debate Over Faith and Soccer · Religion Unplugged · 14 Jul
- Stage:
- Group C · Matchday 3
- Date:
- 24 Jun
Brazil and Scotland both come in at close to full strength, so the forecast rests on baseline team strength rather than late team-news swings.
The model's style-matchup analysis nudges the forecast +1.4pp toward Brazil, versus the baseline team-strength prior.
Availability from the predicted squads and injury feed; forecast adjustments from the model's own decomposition. See /docs/methodology/.
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