Ancelotti embraces fear before Brazil's World Cup opener with Morocco, urges team to stay on red alert

Setting the stage

Brazil and Morocco step onto the pitch at New York New Jersey Stadium on Saturday for a Group C opener that pits a five-time champion against the first African team to reach a World Cup semi-final. The Brazilians are unbeaten in 20 opening matches since 1934 and enter the tournament ranked sixth in the world, one spot above the Atlas Lions. Both camps used Friday’s press conferences to project confidence while acknowledging the weight of the occasion.

Brazil’s burden

Twenty-four years have passed since Brazil last lifted the World Cup, and the scars of recent exits have sharpened the squad’s focus. Vinicius Jr, now the central attacking figure with Neymar sidelined, made clear that individual accolades do not interest him.

I don’t care about individual titles, I’m not here to be the MVP; I’m here to help Brazil win a sixth World Cup title.

Goalkeeper Alisson Becker captured the pressure surrounding Ancelotti, saying the coach’s position may carry more weight than the country’s presidency. The squad arrived in the United States missing injured forwards Rodrygo and Estevao, and Neymar will sit out the opener as he recovers from a right calf problem sustained in mid-May.

Morocco’s ambition

Morocco no longer see themselves as underdogs. Coach Mohamed Ouahbi, who took charge three months ago, said the team has entered a new dimension after their historic run to the last four in Qatar and a controversial Africa Cup of Nations title in January.

For now, when Morocco enters a competition, it needs to go for the trophy.

Captain Achraf Hakimi dismissed talk of favourites and insisted the squad’s quality and defensive organisation can contain Brazil’s attack, even with injuries to Nayef Aguerd and Abde Ezzalzouli forcing late replacements.

The coaches’ duel

Ancelotti, making his World Cup managerial debut after a club career that brought five Champions League trophies, framed his outlook with a trademark mixture of calm and realism.

Fear is an important part of life. If you’re not afraid and you’re caught off guard, you might see a lion and think it’s a cat.

Ouahbi, meanwhile, revealed he studied Ancelotti’s books to understand the Italian’s approach, and both men rejected the notion of a clear favourite in a match they described as well-balanced.

What lies ahead

Brazil’s rocky qualifying campaign, in which they lost six of 18 matches and finished fifth, has made the team wary of early stumbles. Ancelotti reiterated that modern football has no minnows and that his players must deliver a complete performance from the first whistle. Vinicius Jr promised intensity for 90 minutes, stating the moment has arrived for Brazil to reclaim the place at the summit that they never should have left. Morocco, co-hosts of the 2030 tournament, believe a strong start can propel them into another deep run in a supersized 48-team World Cup.