The script was supposed to be simple. Brazil, five-time world champions, arrive in the United States to kick off their 2026 World Cup campaign against Morocco. Times Square turned yellow and red. The atmosphere electric. The result? A tedious 1-1 draw that flattered the Seleção more than a toupee on a bald man.
For 45 minutes, Brazil were chasing shadows. Casemiro and Bruno Guimarães, two midfielders who cost their clubs a combined £100m+, looked like they’d been asked to solve a Rubik’s Cube while riding a unicycle. They couldn’t get near the ball. Morocco’s 18-year-old midfield prodigy Ayyoub Bouaddi, who has the composure of a man twice his age, dictated the tempo like he was conducting an orchestra. Brazil’s midfield? They were the guy who turns up to the gig with a kazoo.
Then Ismael Saibari happened. A goal so crisp, so precise, it deserved to be framed. The Morocco midfielder collected the ball, took a touch, and unleashed a curling effort that left Brazil’s goalkeeper rooted. 1-0. Cue the panic.
Ancelotti’s half-time hairdryer
Carlo Ancelotti is not a man known for histrionics. He’s the cool uncle of management. But even he must have been tempted to throw a teacup after that first half. Brazil had zero shots on target. Zero. Against a Morocco side that hadn’t kept a clean sheet in their previous four matches. That is not a tactical issue — that is a crisis of identity.
The second half was better. It had to be. Brazil pushed higher, pressed with more urgency, and finally remembered they had a man called Vinícius Júnior on the left wing. The boy who has been accused of saving his best for Real Madrid and leaving his worst for the yellow shirt finally delivered a moment of quality.
It wasn’t a goal you’d frame. A cross from the right, a slight deflection, and Vinícius was there to bundle it home from close range. But in tournament football, nobody asks how. They ask how many. 1-1. Relief. Not celebration.
The Bouaddi problem
Let’s talk about Ayyoub Bouaddi for a minute, because the kid deserves a paragraph of his own. At 18 years and 47 days old, he became the youngest player to start a World Cup match for Morocco. And he played like he’d been doing it for a decade. His passing accuracy was 93%. He completed more dribbles than any Brazil midfielder. He made Casemiro look like a pensioner trying to catch a bus.
If Morocco can keep this kid fit and focused, they are not just a nuisance in this group — they are a genuine threat. They already showed the world what they can do in Qatar 2022. This performance suggests that was no fluke.
As for Brazil, the questions remain. Without Neymar, they lack a creative fulcrum. Vinícius is a brilliant individual, but he’s not the conductor. He’s the soloist. And soloists need an orchestra. Right now, Brazil have a triangle player and a guy with a kazoo.
Ancelotti will point to the draw as a point gained. The more honest assessment is that it was two points dropped. Morocco deserved to win. They created the better chances, controlled the midfield, and defended with the kind of organisation that Brazil can only dream of right now.
The final whistle was met with a muted cheer from the Brazil fans. They knew. You always know. The 1-1 draw felt like a defeat dressed up as a reprieve. And somewhere in Madrid, Neymar was probably watching, thinking: they need me more than they’ll ever admit.
Morocco, meanwhile, walk away with their heads high. They didn’t just earn a draw. They earned respect. And in this tournament, that might be the most valuable currency of all.