Vinícius spares Brazil as Morocco hold the five-time champions in their World Cup opener

Brazil walked into their World Cup opener as five-time champions and walked out grateful for a point. Morocco, the reigning African champions, outplayed them for long stretches at a packed MetLife Stadium on Saturday, and only a Vinícius Júnior strike rescued a 1-1 draw that felt closer to a defeat for Carlo Ancelotti’s side.

A crowd of 80,663 turned up for what was billed as the standout fixture of the opening round, the only meeting of two top-ten sides this early in the tournament. Morocco treated it like a chance to prove a point, and for an hour they looked the better team.

Saibari rewards Morocco’s bright start

The Atlas Lions pressed high from the first whistle and got the goal their energy deserved on 21 minutes. Brahim Díaz threaded a pass into the area and Ismael Saibari met it with a cool chip over Alisson, the kind of finish that came from a player completely sure of himself. It was no more than Morocco merited, and it sent a ripple of nerves through a Brazil side that had barely strung three passes together.

The response, when it came, was pure Vinícius. He collected the ball on the left, cut inside onto his stronger foot and finished beyond Yassine Bounou in the 32nd minute for his tenth international goal. One moment of quality from one of the few Brazilians playing to their level, and the game was square again.

A second half nobody wanted to lose

If the first half crackled, the second smothered. Ancelotti reshuffled at the break to protect two players already carrying yellow cards, and the changes steadied Brazil without ever sparking them. Morocco were happy to sit a little deeper and trust their structure, the same discipline that carried them to the 2022 semi-finals, and clear chances all but dried up.

What danger there was came late. Alisson had to stay alert deep into stoppage time, pushing away efforts from Neil El Aynaoui and Ayoube Amaimouni as Morocco sensed a famous win was on. At the other end Brazil’s sharpest opportunity had actually come early, when Igor Thiago somehow headed a Vinícius cross wide from close range. He will not get many easier.

Plenty for Ancelotti to think about

Neymar watched the whole thing from the bench, still working his way back from a calf problem, while Raphinha started and Endrick stayed unused. Brazil have the names to win this group comfortably, but on this evidence they are some way from clicking, and Ancelotti now has a fortnight of group football to find the version of his team everyone expected.

Morocco, for their part, leave with a draw and a warning shot fired. A side that fears nobody has just gone toe to toe with the favourites and arguably deserved more. Group C suddenly looks a lot more interesting than the seedings suggested.

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