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Brazil and Morocco shared points in their debut in Group C of the held on Saturday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States.
The match started with Morocco taking the initiative. In the 21st minute, Ismael Saibari seized on a through ball from Brahim Díaz, evaded the Brazilian defender, and finished with skill to give the Atlas Lions the lead.
Brazil took 11 minutes to respond, but they did so with style. Vinicius Junior surged down the left flank in a solo effort, reached the box, and took a shot to level the score in the 32nd minute.
It was the only goal of the night for the Canarinha and it came during their strongest moment in the first half.
The final stretch of the first half was characterized by discipline. Casemiro received a yellow card in the 37th minute and Ibáñez in the 43rd, which forced coach Carlo Ancelotti to substitute both players at the start of the second half to avoid risks.
With those absences, Brazil lost strength in midfield and struggled to find the back of the net in the second half despite creating opportunities.
The statistics reflect a closely contested match: Brazil had 54% possession compared to Morocco's 46%, and both teams recorded exactly 12 shots.
The Canarinha was more accurate with four shots on goal compared to two from the Africans, and generated five corners to none for Morocco. In terms of discipline, Brazil accumulated two yellow cards, while Morocco received none.
The debut of Ancelotti as the head coach of Brazil —the first foreign coach to lead the Canarinha in a World Cup— did not end in victory. The national team also faced the match without Neymar, who was sidelined due to a grade II injury in his right calf.
Morocco, for its part, arrived at the tournament with the prestige of its historic semifinal in Qatar 2022, when it became the first African team to reach that stage.
The point earned in New Jersey confirms that the Atlas Lions remain a top-level rival.
With this result, with one point each, while Scotland and Haiti have yet to play their first match.
In the format of the 2026 World Cup with 48 teams, the top two from each group advance, which means both teams still have full chances of qualifying, although they cannot afford any more setbacks if they want to secure a spot in the next round.
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