FIFA World Cup 2026, Brazil vs Morocco Highlights: At MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Sunday, Brazil maintained their 92-year run of winning their opening FIFA World Cup match with a thrilling 1-1 draw against a magnificent Morocco. It was an exhibition of offensive football at its very finest. Each team receives a point. Ismael Saibari’s goal in the 21st minute threatened Brazil’s illustrious winning streak in the first game since 1934, but just 11 minutes later, Vinicius Jr. intervened with an equalizer to keep the game alive for the five-time champions going into the second half. Morocco created opportunity after opportunity in the first half hour.
Both teams were at their best offensively in the second half, creating numerous opportunities. Raphinha had some opportunities as Brazil, in particular, raised the stakes. Even though both sides’ efforts deserved a winner, Bono and Allison’s excellent goalkeeping was unable to alter the score. Brazil had a 51.2% ball possession percentage and had 13 shots compared to Morocco’s 14.
FIFA World Cup 2026: Brazil vs Morocco, A classic from the start
Starting the match off, Morocco got a free kick in the third minute courtesy of a foul from Roger Ibanez, but nothing could come out of it. Neil El Aynaoui and skipper Achraf Hakimi also had their chances, but Brazil kept them waiting. As the minutes on the clock touched double digits, Brazil started gaining some control, with some half-chances from Igor Thiago and Raphinha getting Vinicius Jr in space before Hakimi halted the attack.
FIFA World Cup 2026: Ismael Saibari puts Morocco in the lead against Brazil
But in the 21st minute, the five-time champions were broken by the AFCON champions as Brahim Diaz’s pass was received by Ismael Saibari, and he fired it past a helpless Alisson to make it 1-0 in favour of Morocco. Morocco kept making inroads inside the Brazilian box, with Hakimi making consistent runs there and another attempt by Saibari was blocked by Gabriel Magalhaes. Morocco had registered 11 shots within the first half an hour.
Vinicius Jr. scores to square up Brazil vs Morocco
But Brazil soon showcased their big match temperament and the reason why they had won those previous five World Cup titles. Vinicius Jr produced a wonderful strike in the 32nd minute. He received the ball on the left side, cut inside and produced a fiery finish that thundered into the top corner of the goal, bringing Brazilian camp and fans to life. Towards the final few minutes of the first half, Brazil received a couple of yellow cards, with Ibanez and Casemiro in the book. Lucas Paqueta almost handed Brazil a lead with a scissor kick, but Bono’s supreme goalkeeping skills kept the trouble at bay. At half-time, the scoreline was level at 1-1.
FIFA World Cup 2026: Brazil’s search for winner goes in vain
In the second half, Brazil looked more assured on the field, trading passes and not really giving Morocco a sniff at the ball. Substitutions were introduced, with Cunha and Luis Henrique in and Paqueta and Igor Thiago out for Brazil. For Morocco, Ek Khannouss and Ounahi were off the field, with Talbi and El Mourabet coming in. Brazil was a man down for a while as Fabinho was out due to a bloody nose, but came back in. Brazil and Morocco kept producing chances, but the opportunities did not come as frequently. Perhaps the best chance was fumbled by Raphinha, who was fed by Vinicius while standing in the midst of a messy Moroccan defence. However, his 15-yard strike was saved by Bono in the 78th minute. Bono went down, saving another attempt from Raphinha just a few minutes later.
Brazil vs Morocco ends in a draw
Both teams kept making inroads in their opponents’ defences, but to no avail, and 10 additional minutes were added to the clock. Brazil averted a major disaster as Allison managed a phenomenal double save, first keeping El Aynaoui’s effort from 25 yards away from the net, but spilled it from his hands and then El Mourabet, who tried to put the ball past the goalie again, failed to poke the ball past him. Both teams ended with points shared.
Pragun is a passionate cricket follower and writer who deeply loves the game. Having completed his education with a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication, he has an experience of almost two years in diverse fields. He is known for his statistical and analytical articles. Pragun tries to bring life to his articles by adding a layer of enthusiasm from the perspective of a hardcore fan. Apart from writing cricket articles, he sometimes appears on YouTube videos on a friend’s podcast.
