Brazil vs – Vinícius Júnior scored in the 32nd minute as Brazil came back from Morocco’s early lead to draw 1-1 in their World Cup opener at MetLife Stadium. Ismael Saibari had put Morocco ahead in the 21st minute, but the result leaves both teams in a tight Group C pictu
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The crowd at MetLife Stadium looked ready to roar for Brazil, even after the first punch of the match landed on the Seleção side of the field. Morocco took control early, then made it hurt.
Ismael Saibari fired the African champions ahead in the 21st minute. a deft finish that followed a hurried chain of pressure and miscontrol from Brazil. Brazil responded before the shock could fully settle. Vinícius Júnior equalized in the 32nd minute with a sharply angled right-footed shot. sliding past Yassine Bounou to keep the pressure on in a high-profile Group C opener.
Vinícius later summed up the swing in the game simply: “We started on a really bad note… For certain, we got to hold on to the ball. We have to move better.”
Brazil’s expectations have been loud ever since the tournament began. and the emotion around them was obvious long before kickoff. Yellow-clad Seleção fans dominated the crowd of 80,663 at the 6 p.m. start, though the noise dipped a little before Vinícius found the breakthrough. The goal came 11 minutes after Morocco’s opener, restoring momentum that had been missing for long stretches.
Brazil, the five-time champion chasing its first World Cup title since 2002, entered the expanded 48-nation tournament as one of the headline names. The draw also extended its World Cup opener unbeaten run to 21 matches, including 17 wins, since a 1934 loss to Spain.
The moment that changed everything arrived after Morocco had already taken early control. Vinícius exchanged passes with Bruno Guimarães on the left flank. took touches to create space. and unleashed his effort. The shot sailed past the outstretched arm of Bounou for Vinícius’s 10th international goal.
Morocco’s early dominance was built on quick attacking decisions and pressure high up the pitch. Brazil’s mishaps helped. Morocco went ahead after Lucas Paquetá lost control of a short pass from Roger Ibañez. knocking the ball off Bilal El Khannouss. It bounced to Noussair Mazraoui, who fed Brahim Díaz in the centre circle. Díaz’s through pass then split Gabriel Magalhães and Marquin. and Saibari ran onto it at the top of the arc. Alisson Becker was slow to come off his line. and Saibari chipped the ball over the goalkeeper for his 10th international goal.
Brazil’s goalkeeper had to recover quickly from that opening sequence. but the match stayed alive all the way through stoppage time. Morocco nearly struck again in the ninth of 10 minutes of stoppage time. Alisson spilled Neil El Aynaoui’s long-range shot, which was headed wide. Then. as play continued. Alisson leaned back toward his goal on the grass and used his right hand to block Ayoube Amaimouni’s follow-up effort.
The numbers on the matchup were almost impossible to ignore: No. 6 Brazil and seventh-ranked Morocco were the only two top 10 teams to meet in the first round of the expanded 48-nation World Cup.
Brazil’s tournament schedule now moves fast. Brazil plays Haiti on Friday in Philadelphia, then closes Group C against Scotland in Miami Gardens, Florida. Morocco faces Scotland in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on Friday, then meets Haiti in Atlanta.
Not everything around Brazil has been smooth. Neymar, recovering from a torn right calf, didn’t dress for the game.
And even beyond the stadium, the world around the tournament showed how much attention this opener carried. One hour before kickoff, an Uber from Times Square to MetLife Stadium — the venue for next month’s final — was $126.95, up from $83.95 for advance booking for the same time Sunday.
On the touchline, Carlo Ancelotti — the Italian who became Brazil’s first foreign World Cup coach — wore a three-piece suit with a necktie in a sunny afternoon of 88-degree Fahrenheit (31-degree Celsius) heat as the match began.
Brazil will have felt the draw as a test passed but not fully mastered. Morocco will take heart from the early lead and the late chances that nearly returned them to the front. For both sides. the next fixtures in Group C will determine whether this 1-1 opener becomes a turning point or just the first of many tense nights.
Brazil vs Morocco Vinícius Júnior Ismael Saibari World Cup 2026 MetLife Stadium Group C Yassine Bounou Alisson Becker Neymar injury