1:1 between Brazil and Morocco: Top match in World Cup Group C ends in a draw

Brazil did not take long to respond. In the 32nd minute, Vinicius Junior drove past El Aynaoui down the right and scored the equaliser. The 24-year-old, who plays for Real Madrid and was named World Player of the Year in 2024, also benefited from Achraf Hakimi standing a touch too high, which cost the Moroccans dearly. The teams went in at 1:1 at the break, not before Bounou, the Moroccan goalkeeper, had parried an overhead-kick attempt by Lucas Paqueta in stoppage time of the first half.

Key Moments in the Second Half

After the restart, Brazil upped the pressure. In the 52nd minute, Bounou saved a shot from Igor Thiago, in the 78th minute he parried an attempt from Raphinha, before Danilo Santos missed the South Americans' last big chance in the third minute of stoppage time. At the other end, Alisson kept his team safe in the 99th minute with a save against a long-range effort from Neil El Aynaoui as well as a follow-up from Ayoub Amaimouni, preventing a late concession. The result left it at the fourth meeting between the two nations overall, and the first not to produce a winner: Brazil had previously won in 1997 (2-0) and at the 1998 World Cup in France (3-0), before Morocco secured their first own victory in 2023 with a 2-1 win.

Morocco, the reigning Africa Cup of Nations champions, next face Scotland on 20 June at 00:00 CEST in Boston. Brazil, who have not reached a World Cup final since winning the title in 2002, play just a few hours later at 02:30 CEST in Philadelphia against Haiti. Both matches will be broadcast live on ServusTV. The referee for the fixture was Vincic from Slovenia. Yellow cards were shown to Casemiro and Ibanez on the Brazilian side. Neymar was missing for the Brazilians due to a calf injury that may keep him out for longer.

Outlook on the Upcoming Group Games

Ancelotti, tasked with leading Brazil to a sixth World Cup title, took a measured view of the result. The 67-year-old spoke of a difficult match against a strong opponent and at the same time called for improvements.

His team had to get better, Ancelotti said after the match, pointing to the upcoming tasks in the group stage. Captain Marquinhos led the Seleção in the starting lineup, which also included Bounou at the other end. Noussair Mazraoui, formerly of FC Bayern Munich, was in Morocco's starting eleven.