The first match of Group C at the 2026 World Cup ended with a result that immediately reshaped the bookmakers' odds: Brazil — Morocco 1:1. The match took place on June 13 at MetLife Stadium — the same arena that will host the tournament final in July.
Morocco controlled the first half
For the first 30 minutes, Morocco dominated play. On minute 21, the Atlasians' right midfielder Ismaël Saïbari — Eredivisie Player of the Season — received a through pass from Real Madrid's midfielder Brahim Díaz and sent the ball past Alisson Becker: 1:0.
Brazil, in response, lost simple passes and failed to capitalize on scoring opportunities. National team debutant Igor Tiago wasted the best chance, sending the ball wide of goal after Vinícius' assist.
One goal of class — and it's level
On minute 32, Vinícius Júnior did what the team couldn't achieve collectively: he got past his marker and curled a shot into the far corner — 1:1. No more goals followed in the match.
"I think the team was a bit anxious, nerves everywhere. First half — not good. Second — better, but still difficult. I'm confident we'll improve."
Carlo Ancelotti, Brazil national team head coach
At halftime, Ancelotti made two substitutions, bringing on Fabinho and Danilo, which restored balance in the second half. However, neither team created any clear-cut chances — Yassine Bounou and Alisson Becker made saves in individual moments.
Group C summary for the day
In the second match of the day, Scotland defeated Haiti 1:0 — a goal from John McGinn in the first half. After the opening round, the Group C standings look like this:
- Scotland — 3 points
- Brazil — 1 point
- Morocco — 1 point
- Haiti — 0 points
Morocco reached the semi-finals in 2022 — and the new team under debutant coach Mohamed Ouahbi showed it's ready to repeat that path. Eighteen-year-old Ayoub Bouaddi in midfield stopped Brazil's counterattacks and organized pressing that the Seleção clearly didn't expect.
If Brazil can't correct their technical passing errors before the next match, the question won't be about finishing first in the group — but about getting out of the group at all.
