Brazil Announces Starting XI for Opening Match Against Morocco

Brazil's national team has announced its starting lineup for its opening match against Morocco. The game is scheduled for Saturday, the 13th, at 7 p.m. Brasília time, and will be held at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. The encounter is part of the opening round of Group C.

Coach Carlo Ancelotti's squad features Alisson in goal, with Ibañez, Marquinhos, Gabriel Magalhães, and Douglas Santos forming the defense. Casemiro and Bruno Guimarães will anchor the midfield. The attacking line includes Lucas Paquetá, Igor Thiago, Vini Jr, and Raphinha. Notably, Neymar is on the bench and will not take the field.

In terms of player availability for Brazil, Wesley was ruled out due to injury, leading to Éderson's call-up. The inclusion of Ibañez and Douglas Santos as full-backs, as well as Igor Thiago winning the forward position battle over Matheus Cunha, were noted selections.

Morocco, under the leadership of Mohamed Ouahbi, also announced its lineup. Ouahbi took charge of the Atlas Lions in March, succeeding Walid Regragui, who led the team to the semifinals of the last World Cup. Ouahbi previously guided Morocco to the U-20 World Cup title last year.

The Moroccan side faces challenges due to injuries, with center-back Nayef Aguerd and forward Abde Ezzalzouli ruled out of the match. Ezzalzouli was considered a significant prospect after a strong season with Antony at Betis. Mazraoui, who had been a doubt due to a dislocated shoulder, has recovered. Key figures for Morocco include Bono, Hakimi, and Saibari.

Morocco's starting XI features Bono in goal; Hakimi, Diop, Chadi Riad, and Mazraoui in defense; Bouaddi and El Aynaoui in midfield; and Brahim Díaz, El Khanouss, Ounahi, and Saibari completing the attack.

Slovenian Slavko Vincic will referee the match. The game will be broadcast by TV Globo, SporTV, ge, Cazé TV, and SBT.

According to Yahoo Sports Soccer, this article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence.