Brazil held to 1-1 draw by Morocco in World Cup opener as Ancelotti faces early criticism

Brazil opened their 2026 World Cup campaign with a sluggish 1-1 draw against Morocco in Group C, a match that exposed tactical and individual frailties and sparked a wave of criticism before the final whistle had faded.

Morocco's aggressive start

Morocco controlled the opening half-hour with high pressing and quick passing, making Brazil look static and hesitant. The breakthrough came in the 21st minute when Brahim Diaz threaded a pass through the Brazilian defence and Ismael Saibari beat goalkeeper Alisson with a lob. The African side, semifinalists four years ago in Qatar, looked the more coherent outfit as they forced errors from a disjointed Brazilian midfield.

Vinícius rescues a point

Brazil's response relied almost entirely on Vinícius Júnior. In the 32nd minute the Real Madrid winger cut inside from the right, left defender El Aynaoui grounded and placed a shot beyond goalkeeper Bounou into the top corner. The goal came against the run of play and did little to mask the Seleção's lack of fluency. Alisson preserved the scoreline with a double save deep in stoppage time, denying Morocco a late winner.

I am not here to talk about individual performances. I talk about the team: in the first half they didn't play well, in the second they did better and had some chances.

Ancelotti under pressure

The Italian coach faced an immediate inquest from Brazilian media. Former midfielder Felipe Melo, now a pundit, singled out Ancelotti's selection choices, particularly the deployment of centre-back Ibanez at full-back. When asked why young forward Endrick remained on the bench, Ancelotti refused to address the question, saying he would not discuss single players. After the press conference he was overheard telling a FIFA representative that the post-match logistics were "a lack of respect".

Ancelotti got the starting lineup wrong. Ibanez should not have started: he is a central defender, not a full-back. The team improved when he left the field.

The wider Group C picture

Elsewhere in the group Scotland beat Haiti 1-0 at Gillette Stadium, a tighter contest than many predicted, while Australia pulled off a surprise 2-0 victory over Turkey in Vancouver. Turkey, making their first World Cup appearance in 32 years, dominated possession but lacked incision, conceding twice on the counter-attack. Brazil now face Haiti on 19 June (some sources list 20 June), a fixture widely viewed as a must-win given the technical gap between the sides.

You don't win a World Cup based on the first match. We have to improve.