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Abayomi Ademola
Morocco and Brazil played out an entertaining 1-1 draw in their first Group C match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with Ismael Saibari and Vinicius Junior scoring impressive first-half goals in front of a packed crowd in New York.
The Atlas Lions scored first in the 21st minute when Brahim Diaz split the Brazilian defense with a perfectly weighted pass, allowing Saibari to run clearly and delicately lift the ball over goalkeeper Alisson. Brazil responded 11 minutes later through Vinicius Junior, who cut inside from the left before unleashing a powerful right-footed shot past Yassine Bounou to level the match.
Both teams created opportunities to claim all three points in a high-quality encounter between the five-time world champions and the 2022 World Cup semi-finalists. Lucas Paquetá went close for Brazil before the break, but Bounou made an excellent save to keep the score level.
The goalkeepers were kept busy in the second half when Bounou denied Raphinha from close range, while Alisson made two crucial stops in added time to prevent Morocco from taking the win. The result leaves both nations with one point each after a close contest that underlined their credentials as serious contenders in the tournament.
