Brazil and Morocco drew 1-1 in their Group C opener on Sunday. [AP]
Brazil and Morocco drew 1-1 in their Group C opener on Sunday. [AP]

Brazil (FIFA ranking No. 6) and Morocco (No. 7) played to a draw in their opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, splitting the points in one of the tournament's most anticipated group-stage clashes.

The two Group C sides battled to a 1-1 draw Sunday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

The match was the only group-stage fixture at this tournament to pit two teams both ranked in the FIFA top 10.

Morocco pressed aggressively from the start, and Ismail Saibari gave the Moroccan side the lead in the 21st minute.

Brazil leveled through Vinicius Junior in the 32nd minute but could not find a second goal.

The match drew wide attention as a marquee group-stage showdown between five-time World Cup champions Brazil and Morocco, who have emerged as one of Africa's premier football powers. At the 2022 Qatar World Cup, Brazil fell in the quarterfinals while Morocco became the first African nation to reach the semifinals.


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