EAST RUTHERFORD — Brazil’s quest for a sixth World Cup title began with plenty of nerves and an uneven performance, but a moment of brilliance from Vinícius Júnior helped the Seleção earn a 1-1 draw against Morocco in their World Cup opener Tuesday night at MetLife Stadium.
In a match featuring two technically gifted sides, Morocco made the stronger start and looked the more dangerous team throughout much of the opening half before Vinícius delivered a crucial equalizer to ensure Brazil left with a point.
Brazil found itself under immediate pressure from kickoff, struggling to settle into the match as both fullbacks, Douglas Santos and Roger Ibañez, committed reckless early fouls within the opening three minutes.
Morocco capitalized on Brazil’s shaky start by dominating possession and forcing the South Americans into a series of defensive mistakes. Midfielder Bruno Guimarães was forced into an important early block as Brazil repeatedly found itself pinned back inside its own half.
The Seleção finally created its first real opportunity in the 14th minute when Vinícius beat Morocco defender Achraf Hakimi down the left flank before delivering a dangerous cross into the box. Forward Igor Thiago found himself unmarked but completely mis-hit his header, wasting Brazil’s best chance to that point.
Morocco’s pressure was rewarded seven minutes later.
In the 21st minute, Brahim Díaz split Brazil’s center-back pairing of Gabriel Magalhães and Marquinhos with a perfectly weighted through ball that sent Ismael Saibari through on goal. The forward calmly lifted a delicate chip over advancing goalkeeper Alisson Becker to give Morocco a deserved 1-0 lead.
SAIBARIIIII 🇲🇦
Take another look at his first-ever FIFA World Cup goal pic.twitter.com/EDczIyOcEM
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) June 13, 2026
Morocco nearly doubled its advantage six minutes later when Hakimi surged forward from right back, but his low effort drifted wide of the post.
Brazil continued to look sloppy in possession, repeatedly giving the ball away and inviting more pressure from a confident Moroccan side.
Then came the moment Brazil needed.
In the 32nd minute, Vinícius once again took matters into his own hands. The Real Madrid star picked up possession on the left side, drove directly at Morocco’s defense, and unleashed a powerful strike into the top-right corner to level the match at 1-1.
THE EQUALIZER! 🇧🇷
VINI JR. SCORES BRAZIL'S FIRST GOAL OF THE 2026 FIFA WORLD CUP! pic.twitter.com/EQyKVP5E4T
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) June 13, 2026
The goal shifted momentum and gave Brazil a lifeline heading into halftime after what had largely been a frustrating opening 45 minutes.
The second half failed to match the intensity of the first, with both sides becoming more cautious in possession and clear-cut opportunities becoming increasingly rare.
Brazil improved after several substitutions and controlled larger portions of the second half, but concerns remained in midfield as Carlo Ancelotti’s side struggled for long stretches to dictate tempo and maintain possession against Morocco’s aggressive press.
The match eventually ended level, with both nations earning a point to open their World Cup campaign.
Despite avoiding defeat, Brazil manager Carlo Ancelotti made little effort to hide his frustration with his team’s performance.
“This was a tough match, especially at the beginning,” Ancelotti said after the match. “The team was anxious, and there were nerves all over the place. We didn’t keep enough ball possession, but in the second half we were better.”
“We still didn’t do enough, but I’m sure we’ll be better in the next match. I’m not disappointed, and I’m not satisfied either. We have to work, but that’s normal.”
Ancelotti also praised Morocco, acknowledging the difficulty of facing one of the tournament’s most organized sides.
“Morocco played well, they’re a very solid team, very well organized. This was a difficult game.”
Morocco manager Mohamed Ouahbi was encouraged by his side’s performance but admitted his team had hoped for more after controlling large stretches of the match.
“It’s one point, but we wanted more,” Ouahbi said. “One is good enough, but we will improve.”
“I’m not disappointed. That’s what I told the players. This match was high-level, and we need to correct what we did wrong for the next match.”
Ouahbi also praised Morocco’s traveling supporters, who made themselves heard throughout the night despite being heavily outnumbered inside the stadium.
“I don’t know if there were only 20 percent Moroccans, but I could hear them very loudly,” he said. “It felt like there were many more. I hope they had fun watching a great match, and I hope it continues throughout the tournament.”
Brazil leaves its opening match with questions still surrounding its midfield balance, while Morocco once again showed why it remains one of the toughest teams to break down on the international stage.
Brazil will next face Haiti in Philadelphia, while Morocco travels to Boston for a meeting with Scotland as both teams prepare for their second match of the tournament.
For both nations, it was a promising but imperfect start to the World Cup.
