Brazil open their World Cup against a Morocco side that fears nobody

Brazil start their World Cup on Saturday against the one Group C side nobody wanted to draw first. Morocco are not a gentle way to ease into a tournament, and the five-time champions know it. The game kicks off at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, which for fans in India means a 3:30 am IST start in the early hours of Sunday, 14 June.

Carlo Ancelotti took charge only for the closing stretch of qualifying, and has spent the months since trying to turn a talented but uneven group into something that looks like a winner. His first World Cup as Brazil coach opens against opponents who reached the semi-finals four years ago and have carried that belief into this one.

Ancelotti’s gamble on Neymar

The squad Ancelotti named carried plenty of debate, most of it about one player. Neymar made the cut at 34, his place secured despite a season interrupted by fitness problems, and his involvement against Morocco is far from certain. Brazil are managing him carefully, and whether he starts, comes off the bench or sits out the opener altogether is one of the bigger questions hanging over their week.

Around him there is no shortage of attacking talent. Vinícius Júnior and Raphinha give Brazil pace and goals from wide, the 19-year-old Endrick offers a different kind of threat through the middle, and Casemiro and Bruno Guimarães anchor the midfield. Ancelotti also left some big names at home. Gabriel Jesus and Richarlison missed out, and the veteran Thiago Silva, capped well over a hundred times, was not part of the final 26.

Why Morocco will not be intimidated

Morocco arrive as the team that rewrote the script in 2022. They knocked out Spain and Portugal on their way to becoming the first African nation to reach a World Cup semi-final, and most of the spine that did it is still here. They defend in numbers, break quickly, and have shown they can frustrate sides with far bigger reputations.

Their build-up has not been entirely smooth. Winger Abde Ezzalzouli has been racing to prove his fitness after a knee problem, and his availability is still in the balance. Even so, Morocco will feel they have nothing to fear from a Brazil side that is still finding its best shape under a new coach.

A statement match in Group C

Group C also contains Haiti and Scotland, but the table is likely to be shaped by what happens between these two on the opening weekend. Brazil play Haiti on 19 June and close the group against Scotland on 24 June, so a win here would settle nerves early and let Ancelotti experiment later. Lose, and the pressure that follows this team everywhere only grows.

For a country chasing a sixth world title after more than two decades without one, the margin for a slow start is thin. Morocco are exactly the sort of opponent who can punish one.

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