Brazil and Morocco will be eager to secure an early advantage in the race to clinch top spot in Group C of the 2026 FIFA World Cup when they face off at the MetLife Stadium on Saturday.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup gets into overdrive this weekend, with the day featuring four games. The action on the day starts with the game between Qatar and Switzerland before continuing with Brazil vs Morocco at the MetLife Stadium.
Brazil had to slog hard to secure a place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The Selecao endured a historically poor qualification process, finishing fifth in the standings. Carlo Ancelotti’s arrival midway through the campaign turned things around to some extent, but they finished the Qualifiers with only 8 wins in 18 games.
Ancelotti has not wielded the magic wand upon taking over from Dorival Junior as the head coach, with Brazil losing three and winning only five of the nine matches they have played since September 2025. However, the South American giants are regaining their rhythm and may fancy their prospects at the quadrennial event.
On the other hand, Morocco barely broke a sweat to book a spot at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, finishing atop Group E of the CAF leg of the Qualifiers. The Atlas Lions conceded only two goals, scoring 22 times. However, while the African giants have been exceptional for most of their recent outings, there is a measure of uncertainty, as Mohamed Ouahbi replaced Walid Regragui earlier this year.
The most recent match featuring Brazil and Morocco ended in a 2-1 win for the Atlas Lions, and The Hard Tackle looks closer at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Brazil
Carlo Ancelotti has a new injury concern that has hampered his preparations ahead of his side’s opening fixture at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Brazil’s head coach has replaced Wesley with Ederson in his squad ahead of the game vs Morocco. Additionally, Neymar will be unavailable to take on the Atlas Lions.
Alisson Becker is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Brazil lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him vs Morocco. The backline will feature Ederson, Marquinhos, Gabriel Magalhaes, and Alex Sandro. Ederson has reportedly been training as a right-back since joining the squad, and he may reprise the role this weekend.
As for the midfield unit, Bruno Guimaraes will pair up with Casemiro in the double pivot, with the duo keeping things tight in the middle of the park. Lucas Paqueta will reprise the no. 10 role, with Vinicius Junior and Raphinha being the two wide attackers. Finally, Matheus Cunha will lead the line for the Selecao. So, Endrick, Igor Thiago, and Rayan will be among the backup options on the bench.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Alisson; Ederson, Marquinhos, Gabriel, Sandro; Casemiro, Guimaraes; Raphinha, Paqueta, Vinicius Junior; Cunha
Morocco
Like his counterpart in the Brazilian dugout, Mohamed Ouahbi has new issues to worry about ahead of the trip to the MetLife Stadium. Morocco’s head coach has lost two players heading into Saturday’s Group C opener.
Nayef Aguerd (groin) and Ez Abde (knee) have pulled out from the squad this week, with Marwane Saadane and Amine Sbai replacing the injured duo. Additionally, Anass Salah-Eddine, Chemsdine Talbi, and Noussair Mazraoui have been struggling with minor issues. Otherwise, Ouahbi has no issues to worry about.
Yassine Bounou is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Morocco lining up in a 4-3-3 formation in front of him vs Brazil on Saturday. The backline will feature Achraf Hakimi, Issa Diop, Chadi Riad, and Noussair Mazraoui. If the latter is not fit and available to start, Youssef Belammari will start as the left-back.
As for the midfield unit, Neil El Aynaoui will hold the fort in the middle of the park, with Sofyan Amrabat and Azzedine Ounahi providing defensive support in the middle of the park. Finally, Ismael Saibari will lead the line for Morocco against Brazil, with Bilal El Khannouss and Brahim Diaz completing the numbers in the offensive third.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Bounou; Hakimi, Diop, Riad, Mazraoui; Amrabat, El Aynaoui, Ounahi; Diaz, Saibari, El Khannouss
Key Stats
- Brazil and Morocco have previously locked horns thrice, with the Selecao winning two meetings and Morocco prevailing once.
- Brazil come into the 2026 FIFA World Cup on a three-game winning run, having won only two of their previous six matches before this run. An average of 1.5 goals per game have been scored after the 75th minute across Brazil’s last four outings.
- On the other hand, Morocco are on a 24-match unbeaten run after being awarded a 3-0 win in the Africa Cup of Nations final.
- Brazil have not lost an opening World Cup match in their last 20 attempts, recording 17 wins and three draws during that run.
- Morocco have kept first-half clean sheets in their last 24 games. However, the Atlas Lions are searching for their first opening match victory at a FIFA World Cup, having recorded three draws and three defeats in their previous six tournament openers.
Player to Watch
Vinicius Junior
While Raphinha, Brahim Diaz, and Bilal El Khannouss were viable candidates for this section, we have picked Vinicius Junior as the Player to Watch for Saturday’s FIFA World Cup 2026 clash between Brazil and Morocco at the MetLife Stadium.
Despite being exceptional for Real Madrid over the past half a decade, the 25-year-old has often flattered to deceive when donning the famous yellow Brazilian strip. Vinicius has managed only nine goals in 49 appearances for the Selecao, and he needs to do much better than that.
However, he has shown impressive form leading up to the World Cup, and two of his last three international goals have opened the scoring. So, how Vinicius fares will determine if Brazil can go deep into the tournament, starting with the opener against Morocco.
Prediction
Brazil 2-1 Morocco
Morocco’s brilliant run over the past couple of years has created a sense of camaraderie while driving up confidence in the group significantly. Additionally, the Atlas Lions are fondly remembered as the giant killers of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and they will fancy their prospects of completing a repeat act.
However, the managerial change this year creates some uncertainties that a solid team can exploit. On the other hand, Brazil have stuttered into some semblance of form under Carlo Ancelotti, though they looked in delightful touch in the warm-up friendlies before the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
That form will enable the Selecao to secure a narrow victory, with Vinicius Junior delivering the goods. The Hard Tackle predicts a hard-fought 2-1 win for Carlo Ancelotti and his charges.
