The Brazilian team takes the field this Saturday (13) for its debut in the 2026 World Cup. The opponent is Morocco, at the MetLife Stadium, in East Rutherford (New Jersey), starting at 7 pm (Brasília time), in the first round of Group C.
Carlo Ancelotti leads the team for the first time in a World Cup. Without Neymar, still recovering from a calf injury, the Brazilian attack must have speed and creativity with Vinícius Júnior, Raphinha and Matheus Cunha. The midfield will be led by the duo Casemiro and Bruno Guimarães.
Morocco arrives with the status of the strongest African team at the moment. Runner-up in 2022, the team maintains a large part of the bloc that almost eliminated Spain and Portugal in the last World Cup. Achraf Hakimi, Brahim Díaz and goalkeeper Bono are the main names.
Probable lineups
Brazil (4-2-3-1): Alisson; Danilo, Marquinhos, Gabriel Magalhães, Alex Sandro; Casemiro, Bruno Guimarães; Raphinha, Lucas Paquetá, Vinícius Júnior; Matheus Cunha. Coach: Carlo Ancelotti.
Morocco (4-2-3-1): Bono; Hakimi, Diop (or Riad), Mazraoui, another defender; Bouaddi, El Aynaoui; Brahim Díaz, Ounahi, Saibari; Rahimi (or Sbai). Coach: Mohamed Ouahbi.
Retrospect shows recent balance
Brazil has a historical advantage, with victories 3-0 in the 1998 World Cup and 2-0 in 1997. However, the last meeting, in a friendly in 2023, ended in a 2-1 Moroccan victory. It is the first duel between the teams in the World Cup since 1998.
What’s at stake in the premiere
A victory allows Brazil to start ahead in Group C (which still includes Haiti and Scotland) and gain confidence to rotate the squad in the next matches. For Morocco, a good result against the favorite could repeat the impact of 2022 and complicate the Seleção’s path. The game also serves as a thermometer for Ancelotti’s initial work.
Where to watch Brazil vs Morocco live
- open TV: Globo and SBT
- Closed TV: SporTV and NSports
- Streaming: ge TV (Globoplay), CazéTV (YouTube) and other platforms
The match will be widely monitored in real time on the ge, UOL and Lance! portals.
The referee will be the Slovenian Slavko Vinčić, with a high card average, which requires attention from the Brazilian defense against the quick counterattacks of the Moroccans.
