For their opening match in the 2026 World Cup at the MetLife Stadium in New York/New Jersey, Brazil and Morocco played out a 1-1 draw during the night of Saturday 13 to Sunday 14 June 2026. Morocco struck first thanks to Ismaël Saibari, who scored with a perfectly judged chip in the 21st minute following an opening pass from Brahim Díaz. Booming and diligent in their pressing, the Atlas Lions successfully thwarted a Seleção that was lacking in collective solutions for a long time. It took a flash of brilliance from Vinícius Jr to bring Brazil back level: in the 32nd minute, the Real Madrid winger cut inside into the center before beating Bounou with an unstoppable shot.
Despite 54% possession on the Brazilian side and several changes in the second half, neither team managed to force a decision. Morocco finished with 13 shots, including 4 on target and 6 blocked shots, proving their offensive activity and defensive solidity. Brazil, for their part, hit the target with only 5 of their 8 attempts and picked up two yellow cards for Casemiro and Roger Ibañez, illustrating a rough match in midfield. Both goalkeepers, Alisson and Bounou, each made several important saves to preserve the draw.
This draw confirms Morocco’s rising power on the world stage. Following their historic run in 2022, Walid Regragui’s squad shows that they will be “a tough team to play against in this World Cup” and are now embracing an ambitious possession game. On the Brazilian side, reactions are mixed. While Vinícius Jr stepped up, fans regret a lack of creativity and cohesion, with some comparing the current team to the Ronaldo, Rivaldo, and Ronaldinho generation. On social media, the FIFA World Cup summarized the encounter as “A thrilling draw,” and Fabrizio Romano described the first half as “absolutely crazy.”
With this result, both nations take 1 point to kick off their group. Brazil will need to show more cohesion in their next match, while Morocco sends a strong message: the Atlas Lions do not intend to just make up the numbers.
