Ancelotti's Brazil held to 1-1 draw by Morocco in World Cup opener

Ancelotti's debut falls flat

The five-time world champions entered the tournament as sixth in the FIFA rankings, but struggled to impose themselves against a seventh-ranked Morocco side competing in its second straight World Cup. Ancelotti was blunt after the match.

“You have to accept the criticism.”

He acknowledged his team was unbalanced and lost possession too easily, but added,

“No one wins a World Cup based on how they play the first match.”

Morocco's bold opening

Morocco took the game to Brazil from the start. Brahim Díaz threaded a delicate pass, and Ismael Saibari chipped Alisson to give the North Africans a deserved lead. Coach Mohamed Ouahbi praised his players' bravery.

“We would have wanted to win, obviously, but I'm not sad. What I am really proud of is that we have the courage to play and ask for the ball under pressure.”

Morocco held firm, absorbing Brazil's pressure while looking dangerous on the break.

Vinicius rescues a point

Brazil's equaliser came against the run of play in the 32nd minute. Vinicius Junior cut inside Achraf Hakimi and unleashed a fierce shot that gave goalkeeper Yassine Bounou no chance. The Real Madrid forward was named man of the match but was self-critical.

“I scored but I didn't have my best match. I can improve on the technical side, the attacking side. I also helped in defence. I have to improve because it is essential to win the World Cup.”

He also praised Ancelotti, saying the coach's faith brought out extra effort.

Creative void without Neymar

Brazil's attack, which boasts Vinicius, Raphinha and Premier League revelation Igor Thiago, sputtered because no one could link midfield and forward line. Casemiro and Lucas Paquetá were overrun, while right-back Roger Ibáñez, a centre-half playing in Saudi Arabia, looked out of his depth. The missing piece is Neymar, still recovering from a calf injury. His return date is uncertain, and questions linger over whether the 34-year-old can still deliver at this level.

What comes next

Brazilian fans filled roughly 70 percent of MetLife Stadium, but the celebrations were muted. Ancelotti promised improvements ahead of the next group match, while Ouahbi set his sights beyond the semifinals, the milestone his team reached in Qatar 2022. For Brazil, the draw exposes a familiar problem: a wealth of individual talent without the orchestrator to make it flow.