Brazil and Morocco Kick Off Group C at World Cup 2026 Without Neymar. In New York, Brazil and Morocco begin their campaign in Group C of the 2026 World Cup. Neymar will miss the match, while Morocco is also without two key players. Attention is on the tournament start and the logistical challenges ahead.
On the night of June 14, one of the most anticipated matches of the World Cup's opening round kicks off at MetLife Stadium in New York—Brazil faces Morocco. By evening, it was already clear: traffic jams on the approaches to the arena seriously hampered fans’ arrival, and both teams' lineups were far from optimal.
The main news for Brazil’s fans is Neymar's absence. The team captain was left out of the squad due to a calf injury. In attack, the coaching staff is relying on Paquetá, Vinícius Júnior, Raphinha, and Thiago. Morocco’s situation is no less tense: two key players—Nayef Aguerd and Abde Ezzalzouli—are sidelined due to injuries. However, Mazraoui, whose participation was in doubt, made the starting lineup.
These teams have met only once at major tournaments: in the 1998 World Cup group stage, Brazil claimed a confident 3-0 victory. But in their most recent head-to-head, albeit a friendly, Morocco came out on top—2-1 in 2023. Now both teams start a new tournament with different expectations and ambitions.
Brazil traditionally opens World Cups strongly: the team is unbeaten in opening matches for 20 consecutive tournaments, with 17 wins and three draws. Morocco arrives with a historic achievement—fourth place at the 2022 World Cup, the best result for any African team. In the current tournament’s qualifiers, Morocco didn’t lose a single point, and this year they won the Africa Cup of Nations, despite a loss in the final.
Group C also includes Scotland and Haiti alongside Brazil and Morocco. Their match will kick off at 3:00 am French time. The opening game holds special significance for both teams: Brazil is aiming for a sixth title, while Morocco hopes to repeat the success of the Qatar tournament and strengthen its status as Africa’s strongest national team.
Since the Africa Cup of Nations final, Morocco has played five matches: three wins (against Madagascar, Burundi, and Paraguay) and two draws (with Ecuador and Norway). Brazil has already beaten Egypt, Panama, and Croatia in 2026, losing only to France. It is worth noting that in 1994, when the World Cup was also held in the USA, Brazil became the champion, defeating Italy in the final on penalties.
Hosting the tournament in the USA once again brings logistics into focus: as russpain.com notes, ahead of the USA vs Paraguay match in Los Angeles, fans also encountered transport difficulties, which could become a recurring issue for this World Cup. More details on the start of the tournament in the USA are already being discussed in specialized publications.
For reference: Morocco is participating in the World Cup for the seventh time, but has never advanced beyond the semifinals. Brazil is a five-time world champion, last winning the tournament in 2002. This time, both teams start with different squad problems, but with high expectations from fans and experts.
