The journey of the five-time champion team in the tournament based in North America begins next Saturday, the 13th, at 7 pm in Brasília. The venue for the inaugural clash will be the MetLife Stadium, in New Jersey, a prestigious arena that will also host the competition’s grand final. Historically, South Americans have crossed paths with Africans on only three official occasions. The balance points to two green-yellow victories, including a World Cup game, but the freshest encounter in memory brings an important warning for the current squad.
The only previous meeting on global football’s biggest stage
During the 1998 edition, played on French territory, the two delegations faced off in the group stage. The clash took place at the La Beaujoire Stadium, in the city of Nantes, where the team in green and yellow achieved an elastic score of 3-0. The goals scored by Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Bebeto guaranteed early qualification for the knockout stage. That year, the Brazilians reached the final against the home team, while the Moroccans returned home early, eliminated in the first phase.
The names that defended the Canarinho shirt in the victory in France
On that European afternoon, legendary coach Zagallo sent a team full of renowned stars onto the field. To illustrate the weight of that generation, the tactical structure included the following athletes:
- Defense: Taffarel under the goalposts, protected by Cafu, Júnior Baiano, Aldair and Roberto Carlos.
- Midfield: César Sampaio (replaced by Doriva), Dunga, Leonardo and star Rivaldo (replaced by Denílson).
- Attack: The lethal duo formed by Ronaldo and Bebeto, with Edmundo gaining minutes in the final stretch.
Change of scenario in preparatory tests over the decades
A year before the triumph in France, in 1997, a preparatory game ended with another positive result for the South Americans, who won 2-0. However, the sporting scenario has changed drastically since the 90s. The North African nation invested heavily in infrastructure and tactical training, transforming itself into a power capable of disturbing giants, something that became clear in the last direct clash.
The reunion took place in March 2023, shortly after the Brazilian disappointment in the Middle East. Playing with the massive support of their fans in the city of Tangier, the home team dictated the pace and won 2-1. Sofiane Boufal and Abdelhamid Sabiri built the score for the home team, leaving Casemiro to score. The setback marked the beginning of a turbulent period and proved that the technical disparity between the continents had diminished considerably.
That night on the African continent, Ramon Menezes temporarily took over the drawing board. The starting team featured Weverton; Emerson Royal, Éder Militão, Ibañez and Alex Telles; Casemiro, Andrey Santos and Lucas Paquetá; Rodrygo, Vinícius Júnior and Rony. During the 90 minutes, the coach also tested Antony, Raphael Veiga, Vitor Roque, Yuri Alberto and full-back Arthur, who at the time wore the colors of Bayer Leverkusen.
The psychological moment of the two institutions was diametrically opposed. Africans lived in a state of grace after shocking the planet in Qatar. They had advanced first in a very tough group with Croatia, Belgium and Canada. Soon after, they dispatched Spain on penalties and sent Portugal home in normal time, breaking historic barriers for the sport in their region.
The Moroccan epic was only interrupted by France in the semi-final, followed by a setback against the Croatians in the dispute for bronze. Even so, the fourth overall position cemented the country’s name in history, establishing the longest campaign by an African representative since the creation of the FIFA tournament.
On the other side, the Brazilian dressing room was still trying to pick up the pieces from the traumatic penalty shootout against Croatia. The end of the six-year cycle under Tite’s command left a leadership vacuum and began a long process of reformulation that resulted in the current technical committee.
Medical problems affect the opponent’s squad list
For this weekend’s duel, the rival coaching staff needs to deal with last-minute headaches. A recent friendly against Norway took a heavy toll, resulting in confirmed cuts. Defender Nayef Aguerd, a key player at Olympique de Marseille, and winger Abde Ezzalzouli, from Betis, suffered injuries and were officially removed from the delegation that traveled to North America.
The situation of full-back Noussair Mazraoui, who plays for Manchester United, requires daily monitoring. The athlete recently injured his shoulder, but the medical team decided to keep him in training in the United States. The expectation is to evaluate his recovery until the moments before the opening whistle, leaving a question mark in the starting lineup.