Brazil legend Ronaldo says Japan would be 'easy' opponent at World Cup

Brazilian football legend Ronaldo has sparked outrage among Japanese fans after predicting that Brazil would have little trouble beating Japan if the two sides met in the round of 32 at the World Cup.

According to Japanese sports daily Sports Hochi on Wednesday, Ronaldo made the remarks on "Romario TV," a program hosted by his sunbae and fellow forward Romario, a key figure in Brazil's 1994 World Cup triumph in the United States. Ronaldo said Brazil should avoid the Netherlands in the round of 32, calling them too tough a matchup at this stage, before adding that Japan or Sweden would be easy opponents.

The comments placed the Netherlands — three-time World Cup runners-up — well above both Japan and Sweden in Ronaldo's estimation.

Brazil currently lead Group C with one win and one draw, four points, level on points with Morocco but ahead on goal difference by one goal. Brazil face Scotland, who have three points, at 7 a.m. Thursday. A first-place finish would set up a round-of-32 clash against the second-place team from Group F, while a second-place finish would mean facing the Group F winner for a spot in the round of 16.

That makes the Group F standings hard for Brazil to ignore: the Netherlands and Japan are tied at the top with four points each, while Sweden sit third with three.

Ronaldo has personal history against Japan — he scored twice in Brazil's 4-1 rout of Japan in the 2006 World Cup group stage in Germany. Even setting aside that experience, it is a natural enough assessment: Brazil have been on a gradual decline while Japan have risen sharply, yet the Netherlands remain a more formidable opponent by comparison.

In Japan, the reaction to Ronaldo's remarks has been defiant. "This isn't the Japan of 20 years ago," some fans wrote, while others said his overconfidence could only help their side. "We should thank him — comments like that will make Brazil complacent," one response read. Others went further, predicting that Japan would be the team to send Brazil home in the round of 32.