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Français (Afrique)Carlo Ancelotti’s Brazil were held to a frustrating 1-1 draw in their Group C opener against Morocco here at the MetLife Stadium in New York. Interestingly, this was only the fourth time in 88 years that La Selecao failed to win their opening match at the quadrennial event but Ancelotti’s men maintained their unbeaten streak in the competition since 1938.
Brazil were without their star forward Neymar Junior who has been ruled out for nearly three weeks as he continues to recover from a Grade 2 muscle tear in his right calf. In his absence, Brazil started with Igor Thiago up front and the Brentford forward was supported by Raphinha, Lucas Paqeta and Vinicious Junior.
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Morocco struck first in the 20th minute through a brilliant counter-attack. Real Madrid’s Brahim Diaz turned the provider with a perfectly weighted through ball to Ismael Saibari, who showed incredible composure to first see off the last line of defense Gabriel before chipping the ball over an advancing Alisson Becker.
However, Morocco’s lead lasted just 11 minutes before Brazil found their equalizer through sheer individual brilliance. Vinicius Junior collected a pass from Bruno Guimaraes on the left flank, cut sharply inside onto his right foot and curled a magnificent strike into the far top corner past a helpless Yassine Bounou.
La Selecao controlled the majority of the possession in the 2nd half and came agonizingly close to a winner in the 78th minute, but the Moroccan keeper Bounou stood tall to deny Raphinha from close range. Eventually, ensuring both sides walked away with a well-deserved point.
Qatar and Switzerland held 1-1 in Group B
Meanwhile, in Group B Qatar secured its first-ever FIFA World Cup point in dramatic fashion, snatching a late 1-1 draw against Switzerland at the Levi’s Stadium.
The Swiss dominated the game right from the first whistle as they maintained a staggering 70% ball possession throughout the game. They took the lead in the 17th minute, following a VAR review.
Qatar goalkeeper Mahmoud Abunada was punished for a foul on Remo Freuler inside the box, allowing Breel Embolo to calmly convert the resulting penalty. Switzerland completely controlled the tempo after the breakthrough, creating numerous chances and unleashing 26 shots over the course of the match.
However, Switzerland paid a heavy price for failing to put the game out of reach. In the 4th minute of the 2nd half stoppage time, Qatar left-back Homam Ahmed floated a precise cross into the penalty area. Captain Boualem Khoukhi rose highest to send in a brilliant header past Gregor Kobel to snatch a point for the reigning Asian Champions.
How to watch and stream FIFA World Cup 2026 in India
Multiple group-stage matches that will take place simultaneously will be aired across Zee5 app and website.