FIFA World Cup: Brazil held to 1-1 draw by Morocco
What's the story
Brazil's opening match in the 2026 FIFA World Cup ended in a 1-1 draw against Morocco. The Brazilian team, led by coach Carlo Ancelotti, faced an early setback when Ismael Saibari scored a stunning goal for Morocco. However, Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior equalized later in the first half to save Brazil from an embarrassing defeat at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium.
Match dynamics
Bouaddi shines in 1st half as Morocco lead
Brazil's midfield, led by Casemiro and Bruno Guimaraes, struggled to keep up with Morocco's Ayyoub Bouaddi. The young Moroccan star dominated the field, leaving Brazil chasing shadows for most of the first half. Brazil fell behind in the 21st minute when Saibari lifted the ball over the onrushing Alisson Becker from outside the area. A lapse in communication between Alisson and defenders Gabriel and Marquinhos resulted in Morocco gaining a lead.
Tactical changes
Vinicius's goal lifts Brazil
Vinicius scored his 10th goal for Brazil in his 50th appearance, a much-needed boost for the team. He collected a ball from Guimaraes inside the area, cut inside, and unleashed a fierce strike past goalkeeper Yassine Bounou. Lucas Paqueta almost saw Brazil go ahead in first-half stoppage time, but his acrobatic effort was tipped behind for a corner. Ancelotti made some tactical changes in the second half, bringing on Fabinho and Danilo to replace Casemiro and Ibanez. These substitutions helped Brazil take control of the game but they couldn't find a way past Morocco's goalkeeper Yassine Bounou.
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Raphinha comes close to give Brazil the lead
Although there were enough for both sides, it was Barcelona winger Raphinha who came closest to finding an elusive second goal. He narrowly failed to connect with Guimaraes' low-driven cross across the face of goal.
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Here are the match stats
Brazil managed 5 shots on target from 13 attempts. Morocco had three shots on target from 14 attempts. Ancelotti's men had 22 touches in the opposition box. Morocco managed 13 such touches. Brazil had 51.20% ball possession.
Numbers
Unique records made in the contest
As per Opta, the ball was in play for 59 minutes, 13 seconds in the match between Brazil and Morocco. It's the highest ball-in-play time so far at this year's FIFA World Cup. With Vinicius scoring his 2nd World Cup goal, Real Madrid (79) are the club whose players have scored the most goals in the history of the coveted tournament alongside Bayern Munich (also 79).