Brazil v Morocco: Prediction, team news, lineups and odds | OneFootball

With five gold stars on the team badge – each one representing a World Cup victory – Brazil are the most successful team in the tournament’s 96-year history.

But after adding a fifth title in Japan/South Korea in 2002, Brazil haven’t been to a final since. In four of the last five they’ve exited at the quarter-final stage, and on home soil in 2014 they suffered the most humiliating loss in their history: the incredible 7-1 semi-final defeat to Germany in Belo Horizonte.

Talking of semi-finals, Morocco produced a World Cup shock of their own in 2022 when making the last four after beating Spain in the round of 16 and Portugal in the last eight. Their previous best had been a last-16 exit to West Germany in Mexico in 1986.

Brazil v Morocco kick-off time

Brazil v Morocco kicks off at 11pm BST (6pm local) on Saturday, June 13 at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

Brazil v Morocco how to watch

The game will be shown live in the UK on BBC One, with coverage starting from 10.30pm.

BBC Radio 5 Live and talkSPORT will both provide full match commentary.

Brazil team news

Despite his much-trumpeted return to the squad, Neymar will miss the game as he continues his recovery from a calf injury. The No.10, Brazil’s all-time leading scorer with 79 goals, hasn’t played for his country since October 2023.

Brazil boss Carlo Ancelotti had been hoping to play a 4-2-4 formation but the loss of key men and doubts around midfield control in pre-World Cup friendlies hint at a change of plan.

That means former West Ham star Lucas Paqueta, now with Flamengo, could form a three-man midfield alongside Casemiro and Bruno Guimaraes.

Vinicius Jr and Raphinha are likely starters in attack while Brentford’s Igor Thiago and Manchester United’s Matheus Cunha are also pushing for inclusion in the forward line.

Morocco team news

After a second straight Champions League victory with PSG, skipper Achraf Hakimi will again hope to lead Morocco deep into the tournament.

The roving right-back gives his team another dimension going forward but Morocco very much built their run to the last four in Qatar four years ago on an ultra-solid defence.

Ismael Saibari of PSV could act as a false nine while Brahim Diaz, the top scorer at AFCON despite blowing the chance to win the final from the spot, is likely to be the biggest threat to Brazil’s defence.

Brazil v Morocco odds

Brazil are 4/6 to begin their bid for title number six with a win. Morocco are 4/1 while the Draw is 11/4.

Brazil have topped their group in each of the last six World Cups and at 11 of the last 12. It’s no surprise to see them at just 1/3 to win a Group C, which also features Scotland and Haiti. Morocco are 4/1 to end Brazil’s streak and finish first.

In the outright betting, Brazil slot in as 10/1 fifth favourites and Morocco are out at 150/1.

Brazil v Morocco prediction

Saturday’s match in New Jersey will likely determine who wins Group C so there’s plenty on it.

Brazil often suffer hiccups in qualifying, but they rarely put a foot wrong when the real stuff begins.

With enough attacking talent in the squad to leave out someone as good as Chelsea’s Joao Pedro, this iteration of Brazil should be on the fun side to watch.

Morocco head to the finals as ‘champions’ of Africa after having their AFCON final defeat to Senegal overturned and are hard to break down.

But the leap from 4/6 for a basic Brazil win to the 3/1 if they concede along the way is too tempting to ignore.

Brazil to win and Both Teams to Score is the main bet at 3s, but, being even more specific, the 2-1 scoreline also appeals at 8/1.

A 2-1 opening win for the Selecao at a World Cup is a familiar one: it happened in 1990, 1998, 2002 and 2010. That’s four of the last nine finals.