Key events
Fox doing its best to prepare its viewership for Brazilian flair, though that has been in somewhat short supply at recent World Cups.
Zlatan Ibrahimović stressing the importance for them to win the first match to ease some pressure and find its best football thereafter. Thierry Henry and the Swede both singing the praises of Ronaldo, who I’m sure Carlo Ancelotti would have loved to bring onto his squad via time traveling.
Alas, no such luck. Instead it’s Igor Thiago, fresh off his 22-goal campaign with Brentford.
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A surprise finale in the day’s first match, with Switzerland getting their just desserts for such a timid performance against Qatar. Onto the day’s main event, with Lucas Paquetá tasked to get the most out of Vinicius Jr, Raphina, and Igor Thiago. Will we see Endrick make his World Cup debut from the bench?
No Neymar, due to his chronic injury habit. That may help Brazil find its rhythm a bit easier without the fans crying for his inclusion. Then again, Bounou is as proven a tournament shot-stopper as anyone these days, with Morocco arriving in good health and with ample confidence after strong showings in Qatar and at Afcon 2026.
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Brazil v Morocco line-ups
Brazil: Alisson, Ibanez, Marquinhos, Gabriel, Douglas Santos, Casemiro, Guimaraes, Raphinha, Lucas Paqueta, Vinicius Junior, Thiago.
Subs: Weverton, Ederson, Ederson Silva, Alex Sandro, Cunha, da Silva Danilo, Bremer, Leo Pereira, Fabinho, dos Santos Danilo, Endrick, Luiz Henrique, Martinelli, Rayan.
Morocco: Bounou, Hakimi, Diop, Riad, Mazraoui, Bouaddi, El Aynaoui, Diaz, Ounahi, El Khannous, Saibari.
Subs: Mohamedi, Tagnaouti, Amrabat, Saadane, Talbi, Rahimi, El Ouahdi, El Mourabet, Yassine, Sbai, Belammari, El Kaabi, Amaimouni-Echghouyab, Halhal, Saleh-Eddine.
Referee: Slavko Vincic (Slovenia)
Preamble
While it was always a reach to project this tournament would feel like 104 Super Bowls, some matchups inevitably fit the blockbuster billing. Brazil and Morocco’s opener in Group C is this tournament’s first glamour fixture, pitting the five-time champions against the dark horse darlings of 2022, who arrive in great form.
Few know exactly what to expect from Carlo Ancelotti’s first World Cup on the touchline. A gilded figure on the club side, Ancelotti picked a squad teeming with stout center-backs and dynamic dribblers, but with some uncertainty in midfield, at full-back, and up top. Endrick finally taking a long-awaited leap would do wonders to assuage those latter concerns, and will most likely be necessary if Brazil are to snap their 24-year drought.
The history books say Morocco won Afcon 2026 on a technicality, for now anyway, but the fraught final overshadowed what was otherwise a credible tournament run. Brahim Diaz has a point to prove after flubbing his shot to win that tournament outright, and may be grateful that a chance for redemption is here already. After their run to the semi-final in 2022, Morocco will no longer catch opponents by surprise, and Neil El Aynaoui is a vital bridge between Diaz and Achraf Hakimi for right-sided, outside-inside-outside build-up at breakneck pace.
In the spirit of that 104 Super Bowl salespitch, today also serves as the 2026 World Cup debut for the site of the final in New Jersey. The venue hosted Super Bowl XLVIII and the 2025 Club World Cup final. It can’t match the architectural charms of Los Angeles Stadium, but was awarded the final anyway given its proximity to New York City. The stars will indeed be out for this dinner-hour kickoff. Up for grabs is the chance the seize control of the group and chart a more favorable path through the knockouts.
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