Brazil v Morocco: World Cup 2026 – live

Key events

6m ago

KICKOFF

1h ago

Brazil v Morocco line-ups

2h ago

Preamble

7 min Brazil knows it can take a bit of the ball, right? It’s all Morocco thus far, with the South Americans struggling to find a foothold. Good sustained possession by Mohamed Ouahbi’s side, though both of their early shots have given Alisson little to sweat.

5 min Morocco is still listing to the left, perhaps clinging to the shaded portions of the pitch in East Rutherford. Noussair Mazraoui already involved in both directions, completing his first seven passes and making a smooth sliding tackle during a brief bit of Brazilian possession.

4 min While stars Hakimi and Diaz operate up the right, Morocco seems determined to keep Brazil honest and begin its work up the left flank. A well-drawn foul by Bilal El Khannouss to give the Atlas Lions its first free kick, which Brazil promptly clears into the opposite half.

KICKOFF

1 min They’re off and trotting in New Jersey!

It’s getting Sirius in East Rutherford, as Brazil and Morocco take to the field to the tune that soundtracked the pre-game for those great 1990s Chicago Bulls teams.

Will we see Air Vini today? Can Bounou stand as tall as Luc Longley? Will these cross-sport references never end?

Another sweltering kickoff in East Rutherford: 89°F (32°C) with humidity around 35%.

Spare a thought for Fifa’s volunteers, clad in colorful tracksuits throughout the grounds at this tournament. Hope a hydration break is in their run-of-show, too.

Osasu Obayiuwana

Pele once famously backed Africa to become the third continent to harbor a World Cup champion. Will this be the year?

With a record 10 African teams at the first 48-nation World Cup finals tournament, the big question, after Morocco’s historic semi-final appearance in Qatar, is whether any of them can go a step further.

“Many see Cameroon as the pacesetter in African football but Morocco are the real leaders, as they were the first to reach the second round of the World Cup [in 1986] and the first to reach the semi-final in Qatar,” former Cameroon goalkeeper Joseph‑Antoine Bell says.

Leander Schaerlaeckens

We also have Leander Schaerlaeckens in the box at “New York/New Jersey Stadium” today!

For three hours now, the masses in yellow have been streaming into the MetLife – sorry, that’s what it’s called – outnumbering the red of Morocco by 10-to-1 or so. A huge Brazilian diaspora lives in the tri-state area. Moroccans I’ve spoken to have come from Marrakech, of course, but as far afield as Dubai, the UK and (in surprising numbers) Montreal.

It’s a sweltering day in the Meadowlands. It feels, perhaps for the first time all tournament, like commercial breaks – yup... - are justified.

Brazil’s last World Cup match on US soil was a famous one: the 1994 final, where that side’s pragmatic approach overcame an Italy side that included Carlo Ancelotti. If you can’t beat them, join them.

Now at the helm of the five-time champion, Ancelotti may need to prioritize similarly stout structure given some relatively thin areas in his squad.

Fox doing its best to prepare its viewership for Brazilian flair, though that has been in somewhat short supply at recent World Cups.

Zlatan Ibrahimović stressing the importance for them to win the first match to ease some pressure and find its best football thereafter. Thierry Henry and the Swede both singing the praises of Ronaldo, who I’m sure Carlo Ancelotti would have loved to bring onto his squad via time traveling.

Alas, no such luck. Instead it’s Igor Thiago, fresh off his 22-goal campaign with Brentford.

Blogging to you live from Beverly Hills!

A surprise finale in the day’s first match, with Switzerland getting their just desserts for such a timid performance against Qatar. On to the day’s main event, with Lucas Paquetá tasked to get the most out of Vinícius Júnior, Raphina and Igor Thiago. Will we see Endrick make his World Cup debut from the bench?

No Neymar, due to his chronic injury habit. That may help Brazil find their rhythm a bit easier without the fans crying for his inclusion. Then again, Bounou is as proven a tournament shot-stopper as anyone these days, with Morocco arriving in good health and with ample confidence after strong showings in Qatar and at Afcon 2026.

Drop your thoughts in my inbox and I’ll fold them in nicely as the match allows.

Brazil v Morocco line-ups

Brazil: Alisson, Ibanez, Marquinhos, Gabriel, Douglas Santos, Casemiro, Guimaraes, Raphinha, Lucas Paqueta, Vinicius Junior, Thiago.

Subs: Weverton, Ederson, Ederson Silva, Alex Sandro, Cunha, da Silva Danilo, Bremer, Leo Pereira, Fabinho, dos Santos Danilo, Endrick, Luiz Henrique, Martinelli, Rayan.

Morocco: Bounou, Hakimi, Diop, Riad, Mazraoui, Bouaddi, El Aynaoui, Diaz, Ounahi, El Khannous, Saibari.

Subs: Mohamedi, Tagnaouti, Amrabat, Saadane, Talbi, Rahimi, El Ouahdi, El Mourabet, Yassine, Sbai, Belammari, El Kaabi, Amaimouni-Echghouyab, Halhal, Saleh-Eddine.

Referee: Slavko Vincic (Slovenia)

Preamble

While it was always a reach to project this tournament would feel like 104 Super Bowls, some matchups inevitably fit the blockbuster billing. Brazil and Morocco’s opener in Group C is this tournament’s first glamour fixture, pitting the five-time champions against the dark horse darlings of 2022, who arrive in great form.

Few know exactly what to expect from Carlo Ancelotti’s first World Cup on the touchline. A gilded figure on the club side, Ancelotti picked a squad teeming with stout center-backs and dynamic dribblers, but with some uncertainty in midfield, at full-back, and up top. Endrick finally taking a long-awaited leap would do wonders to assuage those latter concerns, and will most likely be necessary if Brazil are to snap their 24-year drought.

The history books say Morocco won Afcon 2026 on a technicality, for now anyway, but the fraught final overshadowed what was otherwise a credible tournament run. Brahim Diaz has a point to prove after flubbing his shot to win that tournament outright, and may be grateful that a chance for redemption is here already. After their run to the semi-final in 2022, Morocco will no longer catch opponents by surprise, and Neil El Aynaoui is a vital bridge between Diaz and Achraf Hakimi for right-sided, outside-inside-outside build-up at breakneck pace.

In the spirit of that 104 Super Bowl salespitch, today also serves as the 2026 World Cup debut for the site of the final in New Jersey. The venue hosted Super Bowl XLVIII and the 2025 Club World Cup final. It can’t match the architectural charms of Los Angeles Stadium, but was awarded the final anyway given its proximity to New York City. The stars will indeed be out for this dinner-hour kickoff. Up for grabs is the chance the seize control of the group and chart a more favorable path through the knockouts.