Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
Brazil kicked-off their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign with a 1-1 draw against Morocco at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. The Selecao were forced to come from behind to secure the point in a game where they started on the back foot.
Morocco, who enjoyed a dream run to the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, were quick to come off the blocks and dominated the game early on.
Thanks for the submission!
Thanks to their energy and endeavour, Mohamed Ouahbi’s men took the lead in the 21st minute through Ismael Saibari. Brazil opted to throw caution to the wind after conceding the opening goal, and got back in the game 11 minutes later.
Vinicius Jr curled his effort into the far corner with an exquisite finish after single-handedly creating the opportunity down the left flank. It felt like both teams were happy to settle for the draw in the second half, with clear-cut chances far and few between.
However, there were still attempts from Raphinha and Danilo Santos that were both well gathered by Yassine Bounou in goal for Morocco. Issa Diop’s weak back pass nearly allowed Raphinha to punish the AFCON champions, but Bounou was alert to the danger and came off his line to clear the ball.
Brazil goalkeeper Alisson also parried a shot from distance in the dying embers of the game as both teams failed to win the goal that would give them the win. Without further ado, let us dive straight into the major talking points from Brazil vs Morocco.
#1 Morocco own big stage under New Jersey sunshine
Four years ago, Morocco were the dark horses at the FIFA World Cup. Now, they look like a team that wants to make a habit of upsetting the elite at the biggest stage. It felt like they were picking up from where they left off. The energy was simply off the roof and Brazil felt it in the early stages of that game.
Morocco were relentless and ran rings around the five-time world champions. The sun was shining in New Jersey and The Atlas Lions looked destined to bask in the glory of it all during their opening game of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Ouahbi will be happy with the draw in the end. But the first quarter of that game shows Morocco can go toe-to-toe with the best players on the planet. It remains to be seen whether they can replicate what they did in Qatar, but one thing is certain. This is a team that is going places and they could upset the order in world football.
The Atlas Lions are now unbeaten in 30 games, thanks to 22 wins and eight draws since the loss to Kenya in August last year. With Morocco ready to co-host the FIFA World Cup in 2030, the sun is definitely shining on them.
#2 No En-Nesyri, no problem at the FIFA World Cup!
A few eyebrows were raised when Morocco decided at leave out Youssef En-Nesyri from their squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The 29-year-old striker was the hero of Morocco’s dream run in Qatar four years ago.
En-Nesyri netted twice, including the winning goal against Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal in the quarter-finals. That header took Morocco to the semi-final as they became the first African nation to reach the last four of the FIFA World Cup.
Ouahbi won the FIFA U20 World Cup with Morocco last year and is believed to have left En-Nesyri out to blood in an exciting new generation before the 2030 edition.
Ismael Saibari repayed the faith shown in him by the Morocco head coach with his goal against Brazil. The 25-year-old, who won the Eredivisie with PSV Eindhoven last season, raced in on goal and pulled off a finish that would make En-Nesyri proud.
Saibari dinked the ball over the onrushing Alisson to break the deadlock for Morocco and showed the instincts of a natural finisher. Morocco have never lost when Saibari has scored and that trend continued against Brazil. More to come, surely.
#3 Brahim Diaz revels as midfield star cast steps up
Brazil had no answer to Brahim Diaz in the opening stages of the game. The Real Madrid man was everywhere. He was a menace through the centre, drifted out wide when needed and caused Brazil all kinds of problems.
There is no doubt in Diaz’s quality and he is pretty much the crown jewel of that Morocco midfield, like we saw at the Africa Cup of Nations. But it would be unfair to think the players around him had no impact in terms of letting him shine.
Bilal El-Khannouss grabbed his opportunity with both hands and pressed high from the start. Azzedine Ounahi may not have been able to keep his level up in the second half, but his quality needs no introduction. Neil El Aynaoui of Roma was also industrious, working his socks off to ensure Morocco dominated midfield.
The likes of Casemiro, Bruno Guimaraes and Lucas Paqueta looked clueless for the majority of that first half. And Diaz stood out thanks to the freedom he enjoyed. The ball over the top to release Saibari for the opening goal was exquisite, a defence-splitting pass that caught Brazil out cold.
#4 Vinicius walks the talk in ‘he is him’ moment for Brazil
Love him, hate him but you can’t ignore him! In the build-up to this game, Vinicius Jr claimed he wants to change the story around Brazil at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
And when the chips were down, Brazil turned to their star man to produce a moment of magic that helped them secure a point against Morocco. The Real Madrid talisman looked like a threat every time he touched the ball.
Vinicius delivered a cross for Igor Thiago shortly after Morocco took the lead. However, the Brentford star failed to connect with the ball to spurn a golden chance.
The goal almost felt like he had enough. Vinicius took matters into his own hands and unleashed an unstoppable curling effort from the left side of the penalty area. Bounou had no chance, he was well beaten.
Ancelotti and Brazil will hope that this is a sign of things to come. The Selecao have a lot of work to do, if they are to enjoy a deep run in the 2026 FIFA World Cup and Vinicius’ form will be crucial.
#5 Boy wonder Bouaddi proves Morocco struck gold
If you were wondering why this writer did not mention Ayyoub Bouaddi while praising Morocco’s midfield, you have your answer now. This 18-year-old deserves a standing ovation of his own after that performance.
Bouaddi shifted allegiances to Morocco only last month. He was captain of the France U21 side before the Atlas Lions convinced him to turn up for them at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
And boy, have they not struck gold? Bouaddi played over 100 minutes, including stoppages, and never looked under pressure. He covered ground, received the ball under pressure and stepped up to clean up behind his teammates.
The moment towards the end of the game encapsulated his performance. Matheus Cunha, who came off the bench for Brazil, decided to take him on with a darting run into the penalty area. But Bouaddi stuck to him like glue and averted danger with a clean tackle that ensured Morocco won a goal-kick, albeit after a check from VAR.
Arise, the ‘Marrakesh Express’ has a new station master!
Edited by Nived Zenith
