The third day of the FIFA World Cup 2026 served up a tense battle at New York's MetLife Stadium, where five-time champions Brazil were held to a draw by Morocco, the side that famously reached the semifinals last time around. Played in front of a crowd of more than 80,000, the contest finished 1-1, with Brazil's Vinicius Junior and Morocco's Ismael Saibari scoring the goals that sent the stadium into raptures.
Morocco's Bold Start and Saibari's Strike
Inside a packed arena, Morocco pressed from the opening whistle and were rewarded in the 21st minute. Brahim Diaz threaded a superb through ball that sliced open the Brazilian defence, allowing Ismael Saibari to surge forward and lift the ball over goalkeeper Alisson into the net. The unexpected opener stunned the Brazilian supporters, though their team did not stay behind for long.
Vinicius Shows His Class to Level the Score
Brazil hit back in the 32nd minute through a moment of brilliance from Vinicius Junior. After a slick one-two with Bruno Guimaraes, Vinicius cut inside from outside the box and unleashed a powerful right-footed shot that flew into the goal. Morocco's goalkeeper Yassine Bounou had no chance of keeping it out, and the score was level.
An Unwanted First for Vinicius
The strike was Vinicius Junior's 10th international goal for Brazil, but it also brought an odd statistic with it. For the very first time, Brazil failed to win a match in which Vinicius found the net. On every previous occasion that he had scored for the national team, Brazil had gone on to win.
A Goalkeeping Showcase at Both Ends
At the close of the first half, Lucas Paqueta attempted a clever trick shot, but Bounou denied him with a brilliant diving save. The Moroccan keeper continued to frustrate Brazil throughout the second half with a string of stops. At the other end, Alisson produced his own heroics in the closing stages, first parrying a long-range effort from Neil El Aynaoui and then blocking Ayoube Amaimouni on the rebound. Brazil have entered this tournament chasing their first World Cup crown since 2002, while Morocco are once again dreaming of pulling off a major upset.
Brazil's Unbeaten Run in Openers Since 1934
The draw kept intact Brazil's remarkable record in World Cup opening fixtures. The team has not lost any of its last 21 World Cup openers since 1934, a run that includes 17 victories. Star forward Neymar sat out this match as he continues to recover from a shin injury. The game also produced an interesting milestone — Real Madrid have now drawn level with Bayern Munich at the top of the list of clubs whose players have scored the most goals in World Cup history, with players from each club having netted 79 goals apiece.
What Comes Next
Brazil's next assignment is against Haiti on Friday in Philadelphia, with their final group-stage clash set to be against Scotland. Morocco, meanwhile, will take on Scotland first and then face Haiti.
