Brazil and Morocco Play to 1-1 Draw in World Cup 2026 Group C Opener

Brazil and Morocco played to an entertaining 1-1 draw on Saturday evening at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, during the first match of World Cup 2026 Group C pool play.

The Atlas Lions of Morocco started the match strongly, dominating possession for the first 15 minutes. Morocco's forward Ismael Saibari scored the opening goal in the 21st minute, chipping a through-ball over Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson Becker.

Brazil responded with an equalizer from Vinicius Junior. Junior received a pass in the box, cut back, and shot past Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou to level the score at 1-1.

At halftime, Brazil had 54% possession, but Morocco had generated more expected goals (1.22 to Brazil’s 0.85). Brazil showed improvement in the second half, controlling the game for the majority of the period and creating additional goal-scoring chances. The match concluded in a draw after ten minutes of stoppage time.

Brazil is scheduled to face Haiti next in Group C play on Friday at 8:30 p.m. ET at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Morocco will play Scotland at 6 p.m. ET on Friday at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

(Source: Yahoo Sports Soccer)