Brazil opened their World Cup Group C campaign with a 1-1 draw against Africa champions Morocco at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. While the five-time champion maintained their streak of remaining unbeaten in World Cup openers since 1934, the underwhelming performance raised more questions than answers.
Morocco made the brighter start to the pulsating match, taking the lead in the 21st minute. Brazil struggled to break down Morocco's low block until the 32nd minute, when Vinícius Júnior scored a superb individual wonder goal to rescue his side.
After the match, Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti acknowledged an unbalanced and nervous first-half performance, stating that his team must improve. Vinícius Júnior echoed these sentiments, saying the team paid the price for a sluggish start and emphasized that they really have to improve.