Morocco Holds Brazil to Draw as Scotland Tops Group C

Africa got its first point in the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Saturday as Morocco drew 1-1 with five-time champions Brazil. This match was one of the highlights of the tournament's first round.

The result showed that Morocco, the African champions, can compete with top teams. They had a great run to the semifinals in the last World Cup and proved they can do it again.

In another Group C match, Scotland returned to the World Cup with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Haiti. This victory put them at the top of the group after the first matches.

Morocco Takes the Lead

In front of more than 80,000 fans at MetLife Stadium, Morocco started strong and took the lead in the 21st minute. Ismael Saibari scored after a mistake from Brazil's Lucas Paquetá.

The PSV Eindhoven midfielder took advantage of the lost ball. Brahim Díaz found him with a perfect pass that split the Brazilian defense. Saibari then calmly lifted the ball over goalkeeper Alisson Becker to score his 10th international goal.

Morocco's aggressive play and quick movements troubled Brazil early on, forcing them into mistakes that are not typical for them.

Vinícius Saves Brazil

Brazil responded with a goal from Vinícius Júnior in the 32nd minute. The Real Madrid star worked well with Bruno Guimarães and created space on the left side of the box before shooting a strong right-foot shot past Yassine Bounou, the Moroccan goalkeeper.

This was Vinícius’ 10th goal for Brazil. The goal was also important historically. It was the 79th World Cup goal scored by a Real Madrid player, tying them with Bayern Munich for the most goals from a single club.

Both teams had chances in the second half, but neither could score again. The match was fast-paced, with the ball in play for 59 minutes and 13 seconds, the longest so far in the tournament.

Morocco Impresses Again

The draw boosted Morocco’s reputation as a strong team outside of football’s big powers. They faced Brazil, who are ranked sixth in the world and considered one of the favorites to win.

Morocco showed composure, strong tactics, and a desire to attack. For Brazil, this match continued their impressive record in World Cup openers. They have not lost in tournament openers since 1934, making it 21 matches unbeaten.

But there are worries about missed chances as Brazil seeks their first World Cup title since 2002. They also played without superstar Neymar, who is recovering from a calf injury.

Scotland Beats Haiti

In the other Group C match, Scotland celebrated their first World Cup win since 1990 with a 1-0 victory over Haiti. A deflected shot from captain John McGinn was enough to give Scotland the win.

This victory marked a return to the World Cup for Scotland after 28 years, and they did it with a win. This gives them an early edge for qualification to the knockout rounds, which they have never reached before.

Haiti, ranked 84th in the world, challenged Scotland throughout the match and nearly equalized several times.

Group C Standings

After the first round, Scotland leads Group C with three points. Morocco and Brazil each have one point, while Haiti has none.

The next matches will be crucial. Morocco will play Scotland in Foxborough on Friday, while Brazil will face Haiti in Philadelphia.