Brazil held to 1–1 draw by Morocco in Carlo Ancelotti’s World Cup debut
Vinícius Júnior cancelled out Ismael Saibari’s opener as Brazil and Morocco shared the points at MetLife Stadium on a night packed with VIPs and an uneven Seleção performance.
Ancelotti’s World Cup debut
Carlo Ancelotti walked the touchline of a World Cup for the first time as Brazil’s head coach, and the night ended in a 1–1 draw that left more questions than certainties. His team looked static for long stretches, lacking the fluency the Verde-Amarela expects.
We cannot expect the team to be perfect in the first match.
Morocco sets the early tempo
Morocco, a semi-finalist at the last World Cup, immediately imposed its rhythm. A mobile midfield built around Bouaddi, El Aynaoui and Ounahi pinned Brazil back for the first 30 minutes, with Achraf Hakimi and Noussair Mazraoui pushing high from full-back. The opening goal arrived in the 21st minute — Brahim Díaz threaded a pass through the Brazilian centre-backs and Saibari dinked the ball over Alisson.
Vinícius rescues a point
Brazil struggled to react until a flash of individual brilliance restored parity. Vinícius Júnior cut in from the left, twisted past El Aynaoui and curled a finish into the far corner in the 32nd minute. The Seleção grew after the break, helped by the half-time introductions of Danilo and Fabinho for the booked Roger Ibanez and Casemiro, but a well-organised Morocco block held firm through ten minutes of added time.
Bright lights and big names
An 80 663-strong crowd filled the MetLife Stadium, studded with celebrities. Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos and Kaká watched on from the stands, joined by Zinedine Zidane, Tom Brady with his daughter, Travis Scott and local officials including New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani and governor Kathy Hochul. The injured Neymar applauded the fans from the bench before kick-off.
- 21′ – Ismael Saibari chips Alisson to put Morocco ahead (assist Brahim Díaz)
- 32′ – Vinícius Júnior equalises with a curling shot from the left
- Half-time – Ancelotti replaces Roger Ibanez and Casemiro with Danilo and Fabinho
- Full time – 1–1; Morocco withstands late pressure
Elsewhere in the group stage
Australia produced the surprise of the day, beating Vincenzo Montella’s Turkey 2–0 in Vancouver through counter-attacking goals from Nestory Irankunda and Connor Metcalfe. Scotland edged Haiti 1–0 on a John McGinn strike, while Switzerland and Qatar drew 1–1 after Boualem Khoukhi’s 94th-minute header cancelled out Breel Embolo’s early penalty.
