2026 World Cup: Brazil and Morocco open with draw as Vinicius levels after Saibari opener
Top 10-ranked contenders went head-to-head in the opening clash in Group C as Brazil and Morocco battled to a 1-1 draw at the New York New Jersey Stadium.
More than 80,000 fans packed into the home of the New York Giants and New York Jets and, despite two outstanding strikes in the first half, neither Brazil nor Morocco were able to get lift-off as the match petered out into a score draw.
Morocco started the match by far the livelier of the two sides, with Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi the outstanding player on the pitch as he broke up play and drove forward to start attacks from his deep-lying midfield role. And with Bouaddi surrounded by players blessed with pace and energy, the African champions forced the five-time champions onto the back foot for long spells during the first half.
That pressure eventually turned into a goal on 21 minutes when a perfectly-weighted through-ball from Brahim Diaz put Ismael Saibari through on goal, and the PSV Eindhoven man finished beautifully with a first-time chip over the onrushing Alisson in the Brazil goal.
With Brazil struggling to get a grip on the game, Morocco continued to push forward in search of a second goal, but a moment of brilliance from Vinicius Jr. gave Brazil a crucial equaliser. The Real Madrid winger cut inside from the left flank, stepped inside two defenders, then fired powerfully past Yassine Bounou in the Morocco goal and into the top corner.
With Brazil back in the game, the action became much more balanced, and as the pace slowed in the second half, both managers threw on a plethora of substitutes in a bid to change the game.
But, despite a couple of half-chances for both sides, the match ended up petering out to a draw that, on reflection, both sides will probably be content with. With their remaining two games both coming against Haiti and Scotland, the two highly-ranked sides will still fancy their chances of progression from Group C as group winners.