Vinícius Júnior scored twice as Brazil cruised to a 3-0 victory over Scotland on Wednesday, securing top spot in Group C and advancing to the knockout stage of the World Cup.

The Brazilian forward opened the scoring in the seventh minute after capitalising on an early Scottish mistake and added his second goal just before halftime. He has now scored in all three of Brazil’s group-stage matches.

Vinícius moved level with Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappé on four goals in the tournament, one behind Lionel Messi.

Matheus Cunha also found the net for Brazil, which has reached the World Cup knockout stage for the 15th consecutive tournament. Morocco finished second in the group and also advanced after defeating Haiti 4-2.

After opening the tournament with a 1-1 draw against Morocco, Brazil responded with back-to-back 3-0 wins over Haiti and Scotland. Coach Carlo Ancelotti said his team had shown steady improvement during the group stage.

“We are working to play the best that we can,” Ancelotti said. “But the goal is not to play well. The goal is to win. If we win the World Cup, we played well. If we don't win the World Cup, we played really bad.”

Brazil took control early when Vinícius collected a pass from 19-year-old striker Rayan, rounded goalkeeper Angus Gunn and slotted home for an easy finish. He later headed in his second goal after another Scottish defensive error.

“It’s always important to score goals and play good matches,” Vinícius said. “I managed to do that and perform very well.”

Brazil also welcomed back star forward Neymar, who made his tournament debut as a substitute in the 76th minute after missing the first two matches with a right calf injury. Fans at Hard Rock Stadium cheered loudly as the 34-year-old entered the game.

Ancelotti said Neymar deserved the opportunity to play and performed well despite his limited time on the field.

Neymar remains Brazil’s all-time leading scorer with 79 goals in 130 international appearances. He has featured in the country’s last four World Cups and has scored eight goals in the tournament.

Scotland, playing in its first World Cup since 1998, failed to advance beyond the group stage for the ninth time. The team’s supporters, known as the Tartan Army, created a festive atmosphere around Boston and Miami throughout the tournament.

“We knew they were a top side,” Scotland defender Nathan Patterson said. “They have massive threats. Giving them easy goals is not what you need.”