The 32 teams at the 2014 FIFA World Cup were split into eight groups of four, labelled A–H. Group A comprised Brazil, Croatia, Mexico and Cameroon. The first match was played on 12 June 2014, with the last two played concurrently on 23 June. The top two teams, Brazil and Mexico, advanced to the round of 16.
Teams
Notes
Standings
Brazil advanced to play Chile (runner-up of Group B) in the round of 16. Mexico advanced to play Netherlands (winner of Group B) in the round of 16.
Matches
Brazil vs Croatia
The two teams had met in two previous matches, including in the 2006 FIFA World Cup group stage, won by Brazil 1–0. Croatia forward Mario Mandžukić was suspended for the match, after being sent off in the team's final qualifier against Iceland.
Croatia opened the scoring in the 11th minute through a Marcelo own goal, as the ball bounced off him into the net after Nikica Jelavić deflected Ivica Olić's cross. Neymar equalized for the hosts with a shot after receiving a pass from Oscar. In the second half, Brazil took the lead with Neymar's penalty after Dejan Lovren was controversially judged to have fouled Fred in the penalty area. Croatia had a potential equalizer disallowed, after a foul was again controversially called on the Brazilian goalkeeper, Júlio César. In added time, Oscar sealed the win, toe-poking the third goal for Brazil from after receiving a pass from Ramires.
Post-match, FIFA referees chief Massimo Busacca defended the officials for awarding the penalty and insisted there had been some contact between Lovren and Fred, even if it was minimal. However, former top-level FIFA referee Markus Merk criticized FIFA for having Yuichi Nishimura as the referee in the opening match, labelling the refereeing in the match as "embarrassing".
The game was notable for a number of pioneering events. This was the first occasion in FIFA World Cup history on which an own goal (which was also the first ever own goal scored by Brazil in World Cup finals) opened scoring in the tournament. As the first game played at this World Cup, the match also saw the first use of vanishing spray to mark free kick spots, and the advent of goal-line technology, two innovations introduced during the tournament.
Mexico vs Cameroon
The two teams had met in one previous match, in a friendly in 1993, won by Mexico 1–0.
Mexico's Giovani dos Santos had two goals disallowed for offside in the first half. However, replays showed that he was in line with the last defender for the first case, while the ball came from a Cameroon player for the second. In the second half, dos Santos had a shot saved by the Cameroon goalkeeper, Charles Itandje, but the ball rebounded into the path of Oribe Peralta, who slotted the ball into the empty net with his left foot.
Mexico captain Rafael Márquez made history by becoming the first player to captain his nation in four different World Cups. Samuel Eto'o also appeared in his fourth World Cup, joining fellow Cameroonians Jacques Songo'o and Rigobert Song as the only African players to have achieved the feat.
Brazil vs Mexico
The two teams had met in 38 previous matches, including three times in the FIFA World Cup group stage, all won by Brazil (1950: 4–0; 1954: 5–0; 1962: 2–0). Their most recent meeting was in the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup group stage, won by Brazil 2–0.
Mexican goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa made four outstanding saves to deny Brazil. In the first half, he saved a header from Neymar tight to his right to push the ball around the post, and blocked a close-range effort from Paulinho. In the second half, he saved a low shot from Neymar and a late point-blank header from Thiago Silva.
This was the first time since the 1970 FIFA World Cup that the host team drew 0–0 in the group stage (in the case, the own Mexico, in the opening match of the respective tournament, an 0-0 draw with Soviet Union). Mexico became the first team from outside UEFA or CONMEBOL to take a point from Brazil in the World Cup.
Cameroon vs Croatia
The two teams had never met before.