Bruno Guimarães Miss Costs Brazil World Cup Elimination

Penalty Miss that Defined the Match

Brazil’s hopes in the 2026 FIFA World Cup took a heavy blow when Bruno Guimarães missed a crucial penalty against Norway. The match ended 2‑1, and the error directly led to Brazil’s elimination from the tournament. Brazil coach Ancelotti explained that Bruno was chosen after a year‑long study of players’ conversion rates, labeling him “the best on the field” to take the spot‑kick.

Bruno’s Penalty Background

During his career Bruno Guimarães has taken penalties in both league play and shootouts. The missed spot‑kick in Brazil’s loss was only his fourth penalty in regular time, and it broke a perfect conversion record for the midfielder. He has also recorded five spot‑kick attempts in shootouts, with one miss that kept his overall perfect‑record narrative intact.

• French Championship 2021 – Lyon 2‑1 Lorient (converted)
• English Championship 2026 – Newcastle 3‑0 Leeds (converted)
• English Championship 2026 – Newcastle 2‑1 Brentford (converted)
• World Cup 2026 – Brazil 1‑2 Norway (missed)

In shootouts Bruno succeeded on five occasions, including Brazil Cup ties in 2019 and the French Cup in 2020, while missing once in the FA Cup 2026 against Bournemouth.

• Brazil Cup 2019 – Flamengo 4‑2 Athletico‑PR (scored)
• Brazil Cup 2019 – Athletico‑PR 3‑2 Grêmio (scored)
• French Cup 2020 – Lyon 2‑0 Red Star (scored)
• FA Cup 2024 – Blackburn Rovers 1‑2 Newcastle (scored)
• FA Cup 2026 – Bournemouth 2‑1 Newcastle (missed)

Impact on Brazil’s World Cup Campaign

The order of Brazil’s designated penalty takers was Neymar, Igor Thiago, Raphinha, Bruno Guimarães, and Martinelli. Because Neymar, Igor Thiago, and Raphinha were not on the field, the coaching staff settled on Bruno as the most reliable option. His miss meant Brazil became only the fourth nation in World Cup history to fail to convert a regular‑time spot‑kick and still lose the match.

Historical Perspective: Brazil’s Rare Penalty Misses

Brazil’s previous failures in World Cup regular time penalties include Zico’s miss against France women in 1986, Patesko’s miss versus Sweden women in 1938, and Waldemar de Brito’s miss against Spain women in 1934. Bruno’s latest miss joins this small list, underscoring how pivotal a single spot‑kick can be in knockout football.

📸 Dan Mullan – 2026 Getty Images