Vinícius Júnior rescued a lacklustre Brazil side as Morocco earned a deserved 1-1 draw in their 2026 World Cup opener at a packed New York New Jersey Stadium. The Real Madrid forward equalised after Ismael Saibari's brilliant opening goal, ensuring the five-time world champions avoided an embarrassing defeat in their first match of the tournament.
Brazil Struggle Early On
For large portions of an absorbing first half, Brazil found themselves chasing shadows as Casemiro and Bruno Guimarães struggled to contain a Morocco midfield anchored by the outstanding teenager Ayyoub Bouaddi. Carlo Ancelotti's side looked anxious and disjointed, with the Italian manager admitting his team needed to improve after the match.
Morocco, who became the first African side to reach the World Cup semi-finals in 2022, were ruthless in exploiting Brazil's weaknesses. They took the lead through Saibari, who lobbed Alisson after a sensational pass from Brahim Díaz. Had Achraf Hakimi passed to Díaz instead of shooting in the next attack, it could have been even worse for Brazil.
Vinícius Júnior to the Rescue
Just when Brazil were on the ropes, Vinícius Júnior came to his side's rescue. He picked up a pass from Guimarães on the byline, left El Aynaoui on his backside, and slammed the ball past Yassine Bounou from a tight angle. The equaliser was only his 10th goal for the Seleção on his 50th appearance.
With Neymar still sidelined by a calf injury, Ancelotti knows that any chance of winning a sixth title will rely on Vinícius. While Brazil still possess undoubted quality, they are badly lacking in some positions, and Morocco were ruthless in exploiting those weaknesses.
Second Half Improvements
Brazil improved in the second half after a few tactical tweaks from Ancelotti. He replaced the struggling Casemiro and Roger Ibañez with Fabinho and Danilo, which resulted in a far more structured system that pushed Morocco back into their own half. Bounou had to be at full stretch to deny Lucas Paquetá and Igor Thiago, while substitute Luis Henrique came close in stoppage time.
Morocco head coach Mohamed Ouahbi, who replaced Walid Regragui in March, praised his players' performance. "The players are disappointed because they wanted to win," he said. "In the second half, the rhythm dropped but that is understandable against a team of this quality."
Ancelotti's Honest Assessment
"We need to improve," was Ancelotti's honest assessment. "This was a tough match especially in the beginning. The team was a bit anxious, nerves were all over the place. I think we have to reassess what we did in this match. But we can't lose heart – you don't win a World Cup based on your first match."
