Brazil Held by Morocco 1-1 in World Cup 2026 Opener

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Vinicius Júnior rescued Brazil from an opening-day defeat — but not a stumble — as the five-time world champions were held to a 1-1 draw by Morocco in a pulsating Group C encounter at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Morocco, a semifinalist four years ago, dominated the early exchanges, with Ismael Saibari putting the African champions ahead in the 21st minute. The goal exposed defensive vulnerabilities in the Brazilian backline that head coach Carlo Ancelotti — Brazil's first foreign World Cup coach — will need to address quickly. 

Vinicius responded 11 minutes later, exchanging passes with Bruno Guimarães on the left flank before creating space and driving a right-footed effort past goalkeeper Yassine Bounou for his 10th international goal. The crowd of 80,663 at MetLife Stadium, dominated by yellow-clad Seleção supporters, had grown subdued before Vinicius restored parity with the spectacular angled strike. 

Brazil star Neymar, recovering from a torn right calf, did not dress for the game — his absence a source of anxiety for Brazilian fans heading into a tournament where the Seleção, seeking their first World Cup title since 2002, entered with high expectations. 

A notable subplot: Brazil's starting lineup featured Douglas Santos, a defender from Russian Premier League club Zenit St. Petersburg, with fellow Russian league representative Luis Henrique — a forward — coming on as a second-half substitute. Former Lokomotiv Moscow and Zenit forward Widson Izidor made his World Cup debut in Haiti's starting eleven against Scotland, being replaced in the 76th minute.

The draw extended Brazil's unbeaten streak in World Cup openers to 21 consecutive tournaments dating back to 1938 — the longest such run in the competition's history, more than twice as long as any other nation. For Morocco, the result carried its own historic weight: they recorded their first point and scored their first goal against a South American side in World Cup history, having previously lost all three such matches. 

Scotland now lead Group C after edging Haiti 1-0 in Foxborough, with John McGinn scoring in the 28th minute to deliver his nation's long-awaited return to World Cup winning form — their first such victory since 1998. Yahoo Sports

In Group D, Australia stunned Türkiye 2-0 in Vancouver. Nestory Irankunda opened the scoring in the 27th minute, with Connor Metcalfe doubling the lead in the 75th minute. Despite the defeat, Türkiye mounted a relentless attacking effort, registering 30 shots, eight of which were on target. 

Looking ahead in Group C, Scotland face Morocco on June 19, while Brazil take on Haiti in Philadelphia the same day. Brazil will close out their group stage campaign against Scotland on June 25.

The 2026 World Cup is the first edition to feature 48 national teams, co-hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, with the tournament running from June 11 through July 19.