⚽ FIFA World Cup 2026 · Group C
Brazil
BRA
Full time
1-1
Morocco
MAR
2026-06-13 · MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford
The verdict“Two giants turned up, traded punches for 32 minutes, then collectively decided napping was more fun than winning.”
The Performance Review
Let's be honest: you sold MetLife Stadium as the stage for a heavyweight title fight and delivered a sparring session with a handshake at the end. Brazil, you came in ranked among the tournament favorites, managed 12 attempts on goal, and still needed a moment of Vinicius Junior operating at full 'I will do this myself since nobody else will' energy to claw back a goal your collective shape absolutely did not deserve. Morocco, you were FIRST. You took the lead. You had the momentum, the crowd noise, the good vibes. And then you let it slip eleven minutes later like a wet bar of soap. Both of you collected your point, looked at each other, and shuffled off. Respectfully: you could have been more.
The first half was genuinely electric. Morocco came out with a counter-attacking blueprint that was crisp, purposeful, and produced a Saibari chip over Alisson that was, frankly, rude in the best possible way. Vinicius Jr. hit back with a dribble and a curled finish that reminded everyone why he exists. For about 32 minutes, this felt like the match the bracket promised. Then the second half arrived. Carlo Ancelotti, a man who has won approximately everything in football, responded to the moment by sending on Fabinho and Danilo to 'manage yellow cards.' That is not a tactical decision. That is a white flag dressed in a training bib. The second half became a tactical and physical slog, with Brazil firing 12 total attempts and Morocco firing 14, most of them from outside the box, most of them going absolutely nowhere near the goal.
The final nine-plus minutes of stoppage time did produce a late adrenaline shot. Alisson, the same goalkeeper who had been chipped like a park-league Sunday keeper in the 21st minute, then turned hero in injury time with a double save to deny Morocco a winner. Bounou did his own acrobatics at the other end, rushing out to deny Raphinha in the 83rd minute when a poor back pass served up a chance on a silver platter. Both keepers earned their match fees. Both sets of outfield players in the second half probably owe FIFA a partial refund.
The VAR Tax
No red cards and no VAR chaos here, which on this particular day in this particular tournament felt almost suspicious, like the match was the one quiet room at a very loud party.
Who Got Burned
Ancelotti, your halftime substitutions were the loudest possible statement that you came to MetLife to not lose rather than to win. Bringing on defensive reinforcements to 'manage yellow cards' in a match you were level in is the tactical equivalent of ordering a salad at a steakhouse: technically valid, deeply joyless, and disappointing everyone at the table. Your front line had 12 shots, nine of them inside the penalty area, and finished with one goal. Alisson, you chipped beautifully in the 21st minute, and not in a way you intended. A rapid Moroccan counter-attack ended with Saibari floating the ball over your head like you were a traffic cone with gloves. You recovered with those late saves, but the internet already has the GIF.
The Bright Side
Vinicius Junior reminded everyone what a player operating at the peak of his gifts looks like. His equaliser in the 32nd minute, a dribble past his marker followed by a curled effort into the roof of the net, was the kind of goal that makes people momentarily forget the match around it was slowly losing its nerve. And Saibari's opener deserves its flowers too: a first World Cup goal, finished with the audacity of someone who does not know he was supposed to be intimidated by the occasion. MetLife was loud, the stakes felt real, and for that first half-hour, this was the match the tournament needed.
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