Brazil 1-1 Morocco: Vinícus Jr rescues first point of World Cup campaign | OneFootball

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Vinícius Jr’s first-half thunderbolt earned Brazil a 1-1 draw against African Cup of Nations champions Morocco in a tight encounter at the MetLife Stadium.

Ismael Saibari gave the Africans the advantage with an audacious lob over Alisson, only for the Real Madrid winger to cancel it out with a trademark strike just after the hour mark.

The second half was far less intense, with Brazil dominating possession but failing to create clear chances as Morocco held firm to secure a valuable point in their first Group C match of the 2026 World Cup.

As it happened

Brazil endured a lackluster start as the Moroccans dominated early possession and created the better chances in the opening minutes of the game.

The African side tested Alisson twice through Brahim Díaz and Roma holding midfielder Neil El Aynaoui, while the five-time World Cup winners struggled to settle and were sloppy in possession.

Morocco’s pressure was rewarded in the 20th minute when Saibari opened the scoring after a defense-splitting pass from Díaz, chipping a helpless Alisson to stun the all-time leading world champions.

Brazil responded midway through the half through Vinícius Jr, on the end of Bruno Guimaraes’ through ball, who cut back inside and fired a powerful finish back across goal and into the top right corner to cancel out Saibari’s opening goal.

Both sides continued to threaten in an open contest, with Lucas Paquetá denied a strong save from Yassine Bounou and Igor Thiago missing a close-range header.

Before half-time, Casemiro was booked for a late foul on Brahim Díaz, with Roger Ibáñez joining his teammate in the referee’s book six minutes later after committing a challenge on the same player.

Casemiro and Ibáñez were replaced at the break by Fabinho and Danilo as Brazil prepared for the restart. Ancelotti’s side were then much better in possession and created a good chance through Thiago, which was cleared.

Approaching the hour mark, Igor Thiago and Lucas Paquetá were replaced by Luiz Henrique and Matheus Cunha to add pace to Brazil’s attack yet were unable to muster the golden chance to turn the game on its head.

Morocco failed to register a shot after half-time, while Brazil managed four efforts in a controlled but limited period.

Raphinha came close to winning it, but Yassine Bounou saved the shot well before receiving treatment for an injury and hearing 10 minutes of added time announced over the public address system.

The second half was slower than the first, with reduced speed and intensity but Morocco ended the game as they started strong as they held on to rescue a point.

Analysis: Ancelotti’s men need to avoid slow starts to progress comfortably

Brazil should be expected to get out of the group, but not without qualification risks if their current pattern continues.

Ancelotti’s side are structurally strong: they control possession well, limit opponents after settling, and generally reduce chances conceded over 90 minutes.

The main concern remains efficiency in the final third. While players like Vinícius Jr provide moments of quality, Brazil’s attacking unit lacks sharpness in converting territory into goals.

Overall, they look well-structured and difficult to beat, but not yet fully convincing as a ruthless tournament side heading into the rest of the group stage.

However, their main issue is efficiency. They are not yet converting dominance into goals at a consistent rate, and early-game lapses in concentration or sloppy distribution can invite pressure and make matches tighter than they should be. In a short group stage format, that increases the margin for error.

If they sharpen their finishing and avoid slow starts, they should progress comfortably. If not, they could find themselves in a tighter battle for qualification than their talent level would suggest.

Analysis: Can Morocco build on historic run four years ago?

Morocco’s return to the World Cup stage after their historic semi-final run four years ago has reinforced their identity as one of the most tactically disciplined and difficult sides to break down in the competition.

They continue to rely on a compact defensive structure and intelligent pressing triggers, which allow them to frustrate stronger possession-based teams.

However, unlike their previous deep tournament run, there is a clearer lack of attacking penetration in open play, particularly when transitioning quickly after regaining possession.

Their early group performances suggest a team still highly competitive and well-drilled, but less fluid in the final third than their breakthrough side.

Much will depend on whether they can sustain defensive concentration while finding greater efficiency in attack to replicate anything close to their previous semi-final success.

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Brazil – Morocco Live Score