2026 World Cup Group C: Round 1, Brazil vs Morocco

Venue: New York New Jersey Stadium (MetLife Stadium), East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA. Brazil vs Morocco is one of the most eye-catching matches of the opening round. Brazil start a new World Cup cycle under Carlo Ancelotti, while Morocco return after their historic 2022 semifinal run and now play under Mohamed Ouahbi. Brazil's latest team news has Neymar ruled out of the opener with a calf injury, while Wesley is also unavailable. That places more attention on Vinicius Junior, Raphinha, Lucas Paqueta and Matheus Cunha in the attacking structure, with Casemiro and Bruno Guimaraes important to the midfield balance. Morocco also have availability issues, with Nayef Aguerd and Abde Ezzalzouli out and Noussair Mazraoui listed as a doubt. Achraf Hakimi, Brahim Diaz, Sofyan Amrabat and Yassine Bounou remain central figures in the Atlas Lions' setup.

Players to watch include Vinicius Junior for Brazil, especially in one-on-one situations on the left, and Raphinha or Paqueta between the lines. For Morocco, Hakimi's runs from the right, Brahim Diaz's movement and Bounou's command of the penalty area are major focal points. The tactical focus will be Brazil's ability to create isolation moments in wide areas and Morocco's ability to attack quickly when possession changes hands. Hakimi's positioning against Brazil's left-sided threat could become one of the defining matchups.