A moment of magic from Vinicius Junior helped Brazil salvage a 1-1 draw against Morocco following a rocky start to their World Cup Group C opener on Saturday.
The 25-year-old Real Madrid star's magnificent solo effort in the 32nd minute cancelled out Ismael Saibari's slick finish 11 minutes earlier for a Morocco side who dominated the opening half-hour at MetLife Stadium.
But the South Americans improved after manager Carlo Ancelotti swapped out Casemiro and Roger Ibanez for Fabinho and Danilo at the interval.
By the end, both teams were probably satisfied with the point before a star-studded crowd that included former NFL star Tom Brady, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani and 2002 Brazilian World Cup winners Ronaldo and Roberto Carlos.
Morocco started brightly and deserved their lead. Brahim Diaz released Saibari with a perfect through-ball and the PSV Eindhoven player lifted a sublime finish over Alisson Becker.
When it came, the equaliser was stunning and against the run of play. Vinicius is often criticised for not replicating his club form in the yellow of Brazil, but he might as well have been at the Santiago Bernabeu as he jinked in from the left wing and rifled a shot into the far top corner in trademark fashion.
Morocco's intensity dropped a level but goalkeeper Yassine Bounou stood up to Brazil's best efforts, and counterpart Alisson had to produce a late double save to prevent the Atlas Lions snatching victory deep into stoppage time.
Selecao boss Ancelotti praised Morocco's start and admitted his side were second best until Vinicius's intervention.
“I don’t think we started the game well. The team was a little nervous and lost several duels. The first half was not good,” he said. “It was a difficult match because Morocco are a very good team. In the first half, they managed to play through our press and created dangerous transitions. We could have had more control of the game.”
Opposite number Mohamed Ouahbi felt his side had missed a chance to make a real statement by beating Brazil, and blamed the heat for their second-half dip.
“We did what we had planned, but I was facing Carlo Ancelotti, so it was not simple,” Ouahbi said. “We wanted to win, and the players wanted to win. We felt that the match slipped away from us because we did not get the victory.
“The substitutes did well. The heat affected the players, and some of them are taking part in their first World Cup. It is not easy.”
New-look Morocco shine on big stage
As 2022 semi-finalists and champions of Africa, Morocco entered this World Cup with a big reputation – a fact evidenced by them kicking off ranked seventh in the world, just one spot behind illustrious opponents Brazil.
However, their tournament prelude included major upheaval caused by 2022 boss Walid Regragui’s protracted departure, with the promotion of U20 World Cup-winning coach Ouahbi only confirmed on March 5.
Best of 2026 World Cup so far - in pictures
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At the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, Qatar's goalkeeper Mahmoud Abunada fouls Switzerland's Remo Freuler to give away a penalty. Reuters -
Qatar's Boualem Khoukhi puts the ball past Switzerland's Gregor Kobel for their first World Cup goal. Reuters -
Qatar fans cheer in the stands during the Fifa World Cup 2026 Group B match between Qatar and Switzerland in San Francisco, AFP -
Morocco's Ismael Saibari, centre, scores his team's first goal during the 2026 World Cup Group C match with Brazil at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. AFP -
Morocco's Ismael Saibari celebrates scoring their first goal. Reuters -
Brazil's Vinicius Jr equalises against Morocco. Reuters -
John McGinn of Scotland scores his team's first goal past Johny Placide of Haiti. The win was Scotland's first World Cup victory in 36 years. AFP -
Folarin Balogun of the US scores their third goal against Paraguay at Los Angeles Stadium in Inglewood, California. Reuters -
South Korea's Oh Hyeon-gyu scores their second goal against Czech Republic at Guadalajara Stadium. Reuters -
Mexico's Raul Jimenez scores their second goal against South Africa at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. Reuters
His squad was controversial with only nine survivors from Qatar – a number that fell to seven when the injured Nayef Aguerd and Abde Ezzalzouli withdrew. This chimed with predictions the Belgian-educated coach would transition to a more technical, possession-based style as opposed to the rigid counter-attacking of his predecessor.
Just four players remained from 2022 in Saturday night's line-up, in the shape of goalkeeper Bounou, full-backs Achraf Hakimi and Noussair Mazraoui, and midfielder Azzedine Ounahi. All were impressive, but it was some of the new faces who really shone at MetLife Stadium.
Bouaddi and Saibari step up
Ayyoub Bouaddi stood out visually thanks to his stature and mop of hair and, at just 18 years old, looks a breakout star of the tournament in the making.
Morocco pushed hard to lure a player who had already captained France's U21 side, and his mature display here showed exactly why.
Bouaddi, along with midfield partners Ounahi and Neil El Aynaoui, pressed, unsettled and dominated Brazil in the first half.
The Lille player, already linked with Arsenal, Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain, won his duels, recovered second balls and completed 61 of 66 passes in a complete midfield display.
Further forward, much of the attention has been on Brahim Diaz, but Saibari showed that he too can be a star of the tournament with an industrious display and brilliant goal. Normally an attacking midfielder, Saibari flourished as a false nine in a team stacked with fast, technical players.
The 25-year-old has come of age at PSV in recent seasons and looks set to join Bayern Munich right after the World Cup.
Ancelotti’s Brazil fail to convince
The big question ahead of this game was whether the Italian coach would make good on his promise to front-load his team with attacking talent and roll out the 4-2-4 formation he’d trialled in warm-up games.
As it transpired, he was more circumspect, and opted for a three-man midfield of Casemiro, Bruno Guimaraes and Lucas Paqueta.
If that was a compliment to Morocco then it was warranted as the trio was run ragged in the opening stages. The arrival of Fabinho and Danilo at the interval gave the team greater balance and structure and will provide Ancelotti with much to ponder going forward.
Overall, it was a Brazil performance elevated by individual quality, headlined by Vinicius's equaliser. That alone will give them some encouragement.
However, Ancelotti is already facing criticism from an ultra-demanding domestic media who have questioned his decision to start Brentford's Igor Thiago over Endrick. Thiago's inability to convert a clear headed chance didn't help his cause.
What’s next?
Ancelotti's side might have lacked cohesion but with group games still to come against Haiti (June 20) and Scotland (June 25) they should have the opportunity to grow into the tournament.
Morocco will take a lot of confidence from Saturday night's display and face the reverse of those fixtures, with Scotland next before concluding Group C against Haiti.
