The kickoff of the Brazilian team at the 2026 World Cup will take place this Saturday, the 13th, starting at 7pm in the Brasília time zone. The venue for the clash against the Moroccan team will be the MetLife Stadium, located in the New Jersey region. This is an unusual clash on the international football scene, with only three official records to date. The retrospect points to South American dominance with two consolidated victories, one of them in a FIFA tournament, although the most recent meeting brings back bitter memories for the Canarian fans.
How was the only meeting between the two teams in a FIFA World Cup
The only crossing between the two countries in a World Cup edition occurred on June 16, 1998, during the competition organized by France. In a match valid for the second round of Group A, the green and yellow squad scored 3-0 at La Beaujoire Stadium, located in Nantes. The triumph guaranteed early passage to the knockout stage, thanks to goals scored by strikers Ronaldo and Bebeto, as well as midfielder Rivaldo. That year, the Brazilians reached the big decision against the home team, while the African team fell in the qualifying phase.
Historic line-up that guaranteed Brazilian victory in France
The scheme put together by legendary coach Zagallo for that match featured goalkeeper Taffarel protecting the goal. The defensive system brought together Cafu, Júnior Baiano, Aldair and Roberto Carlos. The creative sector had César Sampaio, who later gave way to Doriva, working alongside Dunga, Leonardo and Rivaldo, the latter replaced by Denílson in the complementary stage. The command of the attack was the responsibility of the duo Ronaldo and Bebeto, with Edmundo gaining minutes in the final stretch of the game.
Preparatory games reveal a change in the level of African football
Before joining the FIFA tournament, the delegations met in a preparatory game held in 1997, which ended with another 2-0 victory for Brazil. Since that time, the sporting scene on the African continent has undergone a profound transformation and gained competitiveness. As a result of this technical and tactical development, the recent match history does not favor the South American side.
The Moroccan squad marked the restart of the Brazilian calendar right after the frustrating fall at the World Cup in Qatar. During a friendly event hosted in the city of Tangier in March 2023, the hosts dictated the pace of the game and won 2-1 with authority. The local goals came from Sofiane Boufal and Abdelhamid Sabiri, leaving Casemiro to score for the visitors. The setback, which marked the beginning of the post-Tite era, served as a warning about the current strength of African nations and highlighted the urgency of a reformulation in the Brazilian style of play.
Under the provisional command of coach Ramon Menezes, the team entered the field with Weverton assuming the starting position in goal. The defense line was formed by Emerson Royal, Éder Militão, Ibañez and Alex Telles. The midfield featured the trio of Casemiro, Andrey Santos and Lucas Paquetá, providing an offensive trio made up of Rodrygo, Vinícius Júnior and Rony. During the second half, the coach called on Antony, Raphael Veiga, Vitor Roque, Yuri Alberto and full-back Arthur, who at the time was wearing the Bayer Leverkusen shirt.
The context of that friendly reflected opposing moments between the two federations. The Moroccans were at the height of their confidence after a historic campaign in Qatar, where they dominated a complex draw against Croatia, Belgium and Canada. In the knockout stage, they defeated Spain on penalties and overcame Portugal in normal time. The unprecedented feat made the country the first representative from Africa and the Arab world to reach the semi-final stage of a World Cup.
The successful trajectory was only interrupted with a defeat to France in the dispute for a place in the final, followed by a new setback against Croatia in the game that was worth the bronze medal. Fourth place overall consolidated the best participation by a team from the African continent in the entire history of the competition organized by FIFA.
On the other side, the Brazilian dressing room was still trying to digest the traumatic elimination suffered against the same Croatia, when the place escaped due to maximum penalties during the quarter-finals. The negative result in the Middle East officially ended coach Tite’s work cycle at the head of the national project.
Medical problems alter the opposing team’s squad list
The medical department has caused headaches for the two technical committees on the eve of the tournament. The Moroccan squad suffered two weight losses recently, right after a preparatory test against the Norwegian team. Defender Nayef Aguerd, linked to Olympique de Marseille, and front man Abde Ezzalzouli, who defends the colors of Betis, had to be removed from the official list of entries for the World Cup.
At the same time, full-back Noussair Mazraoui, an important player at Manchester United, presented complaints related to an injury to the shoulder region. Despite the scare, the athlete remains part of the group that is concentrated in the United States, which keeps the hope of his use during the group stage alive.
