In a thrilling encounter at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, Morocco, the fourth-place team from the last tournament, managed to secure a 1-1 draw against Brazil, the five-time World Cup champions, during the opening match of Group C in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The Moroccan team struck first with a goal from PSV Eindhoven forward Ismail Sabiri in the 21st minute; however, Brazil quickly equalized just 11 minutes later, thanks to a goal from Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior in the 32nd minute.
The match saw a vibrant crowd of 80,663 spectators, including legends from the Brazilian squad that won the World Cup in 1994, such as Romario, Bebeto, Cafu, and former captain Carlos Dunga, alongside Ronaldo and Roberto Carlos, who were part of the team that claimed the last title for Brazil in 2002. Morocco showcased an impressive performance, dominating possession in the first half and creating several scoring opportunities, one of which resulted in Sabiri's opening goal. However, they were made to pay for their missed chances when Brazil leveled the score.
As the second half commenced, Brazil improved their performance following two substitutions made by their coach Carlo Ancelotti, who was making his international managerial debut after a successful club career. He brought in Flamengo defender Danilo and Saudi Arabian midfielder Fabinho to replace Ibanez and Casemiro, though this did not alter the outcome of the match.
Key Highlights and Player Performances
Both goalkeepers, Alisson Becker and Yassine Bounou, played crucial roles in preventing further goals. Bounou, in particular, made several key saves, including stopping attempts from Nadir Laynawi and substitute Ayoub Amine during stoppage time, denying Morocco a chance to avenge their 3-0 loss to Brazil in the group stage of the 1998 World Cup.
After the match, Moroccan captain Achraf Hakimi expressed satisfaction with the team's performance, stating, "We drew, but we are happy with our display. We need to improve and evolve with every match. Now we must recover and learn from our mistakes." Meanwhile, Morocco's coach Mohamed Wahbi also faced the challenge of his first official match in charge after succeeding Walid Rekik, who had led the team to success in 2022. However, he had to navigate the match without two key defenders, Naif Aguerd and Abdessamad Ezzalzouli, who were ruled out due to injury issues.
On the Brazilian side, star player Neymar was absent due to a calf injury but was present on the bench to support his teammates. Ancelotti adjusted his lineup to account for the missing players, including selecting Roger Ibanez to fill the gap left by the sidelined right-back from AS Roma.
Match Summary
The first significant chance of the match came in the sixth minute when Manchester United's Noussair Mazraoui made a run down the left flank and delivered a low cross that was cleared by defender Ibanez just in time. In a display of early aggression, Real Madrid's Ibrahim Dias attempted a low shot inside the box which narrowly missed the right post.
Morocco's opening goal was a result of a well-executed play that started from the midfield. A pass from Onahi found Mazraoui, who cleverly set up Sabiri, allowing him to break through Arsenal defender Gabriel and chip the ball over Alisson from close range. Shortly after, Hakimi nearly doubled the lead with a swift counter-attack but missed the target.
Vinicius managed to equalize for Brazil by receiving a pass from Newcastle's Bruno Guimarães, dribbling past a defender before unleashing a powerful strike that beat Bounou. The second half saw Brazil pushing for a winner, but Morocco’s defense, led by Bounou, held firm, with the match ending in a well-earned draw for both teams.
As reported by annahar.com.
