Morocco player fires warning to Vinicius Jr before Brazil clash

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Coluna do Fla

·13 Juni 2026

Morocco player fires warning to Vinicius Jr before Brazil clash

What did Hakimi, Morocco’s full-back, say about Vinicius Júnior?

Brazil and Morocco face off this Saturday (13) in a match valid for the first round of the group stage of the World Cup. On the eve of the match, Moroccan full-back Achraf Hakimi looked ahead to the clash with Vinicius Júnior, former Flamengo player and one of the standout names of the Brazil National Team.

— Everyone knows the Brazil team, they know Vinicius Jr.’s quality. I’ve played against him many times, he’s a great player. To defend against Vinicius and to defend against Brazil’s other players, who are top-level, we’ll have to work together -, he said, before concluding:

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— I believe we trained and prepared for this moment. I think the team is ready. Personally, I feel prepared and confident to play a great match and put in a good performance -, Hakimi concluded.

What did Vini Jr say about Morocco?

Like Hakimi, Vini Jr gave a press conference this Saturday (13) and praised Brazil’s opponent in its World Cup opener. The No. 7 even made a point of recalling the Moroccans’ run in the 2022 edition of the tournament, when the African team reached the semifinals.

Without a doubt, Morocco have improved a lot. They’re a team that plans matches well and can compete against anyone. Football has changed a lot. Morocco are one of those teams. They had a great World Cup, but in the Africa Cup of Nations they lost in the final. They have an excellent team, players who play for big clubs. Morocco can definitely surprise people at the World Cup, just as they did in the last one. There’s Brahim, who plays with me, there’s Hakimi, who won another Champions League, and there are other players who are very important in football. They’ve been growing a lot. It will be a great match,” said Vini Jr.

Will Vini Jr start in Brazil vs Morocco?

Vini Jr is one of the biggest names in world football and, for that reason, he is Brazil’s great hope for the 2026 World Cup. Therefore, the forward, who is a key player in Carlo Ancelotti’s team, is expected to start against Morocco this Saturday (13).

As such, the Brazil National Team should take the field with the following names: Alisson; Danilo, Marquinhos, Gabriel Magalhães and Alex Sandro; Casemiro, Bruno Guimarães and Lucas Paquetá; Raphinha, Vini Junior and Matheus Cunha.

What is Hakimi’s situation with Morocco?

It is worth noting that Hakimi worried Morocco’s coaching staff two months before the World Cup. After all, the PSG (FRA) full-back suffered a muscle injury in his left thigh in the Champions League semifinal. Despite that, the player recovered and returned to the pitch in the final of the European competition on May 30.

As a result, the PSG full-back is expected to start against Brazil, since he is the main name in Mohamed Ouahbi’s team. Thus, Morocco’s likely lineup includes: Bono; Hakimi, Diop, Riad and Mazraoui; Bouaddi and El Aynaoui; Brahim Díaz, Ounahi and Sbaï (Talbi); Saibari.

When do Brazil and Morocco face each other?

Brazil and Morocco face each other this Saturday (13) in a match valid for the first round of the World Cup group stage. Thus, the ball rolls at 7 p.m. (Brasília time), at MetLife Stadium, in New Jersey.

As tradition dictates, Coluna do Fla will bring all the details of the match between Brazil and Morocco through the website and social media. However, Globo (free-to-air TV), SporTV (pay TV channel), GE TV (YouTube), Cazé TV (YouTube), SBT (free-to-air TV) and N Sports (pay TV channel) will broadcast the Brazil National Team’s opener.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.