Vinicius Jnr. celebrating his equaliser agaisnt Morocco
Vinicius Junior produced a moment of brilliance to preserve Brazil’s long-standing unbeaten record in opening World Cup matches as the five-time champions were held to a 1-1 draw by Morocco at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
Morocco stunned the South Americans in the 21st minute when Ismael Saibari capitalised on a defensive misunderstanding between goalkeeper Alisson Becker and his backline, calmly lifting the ball over the advancing Liverpool shot-stopper from outside the penalty area.
The goal marked a historic milestone for the African champions, becoming the first they have scored against South American opposition at a World Cup after previous scoreless encounters with Peru in 1970 and Brazil in 1998.
Morocco continued to dictate proceedings and piled pressure on the Brazilian defence, registering 12 shots within the opening half hour — the most Brazil have faced in a World Cup match since meeting Mexico in 2018.
Despite Morocco’s dominance, Brazil found a way back into the contest through Vinicius Junior. On his 50th appearance for the Selecao, the Real Madrid forward collected a pass from Bruno Guimaraes inside the box, cut onto his right foot and fired an unstoppable effort beyond goalkeeper Yassine Bounou in the 32nd minute.
Lucas Paqueta nearly completed the turnaround before halftime, but his acrobatic strike was brilliantly pushed away.
With Brazilian legends Ronaldo, Kaka and Roberto Carlos among the spectators, Carlo Ancelotti’s side improved after the interval. However, clear-cut chances remained limited, with Raphinha coming closest to a winner when he narrowly failed to connect with a dangerous cross from Guimaraes.
The result extends Brazil’s remarkable 92-year unbeaten run in opening World Cup matches, while Morocco’s search for a first-ever opening-game victory at the tournament continues.