7M - Brazil 1-1 Morocco: Vinicius Rescues Brazil with Equalizer in Pulsating 1-1 Draw Against Morocco

EAST RUTHERFORD — Vinícius Junior found the net in the first half to rescue a point for five-time champions Brazil, securing a 1-1 draw against a resilient Morocco in a highly anticipated World Cup group-stage clash in New Jersey.

The African powerhouses took the initiative early on at MetLife Stadium, stunning the South American favorites in the 21st minute. Capitalizing on a defensive mix-up by Brazil's backline, Brahim Díaz delivered a defense-splitting through ball to Ismael Saibari. With Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson Becker hesitant to rush out, Saibari cleverly chipped the ball into the net to score his 10th international goal and give Morocco a well-deserved lead.

Stung by the opener, the Seleção—who were missing star forward Neymar due to a calf injury—gradually found their footing in front of a massive crowd of over 80,000 spectators.

The breakthrough came 11 minutes later. Vinícius Junior combined brilliantly with Bruno Guimarães on the left wing, carved out enough space inside the box, and unleashed a powerful, angled right-footed strike past Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou. It was also the Real Madrid star’s 10th goal for his country.

"We started on a really bad note," Vinícius admitted after the match. "For certain, we've got to hold on to the ball. We have to move better."

The heavyweights, ranked sixth and seventh globally, represent the only top-10 teams drawn into the same group for this newly expanded 48-nation tournament. While Brazil standard fell short of an opening victory, the result successfully extended their remarkable World Cup opening-match unbeaten streak to 21 games, dating back to 1934.

Looking ahead in Group C, Brazil will travel to Philadelphia to face Haiti on Friday before wrapping up the group stage against Scotland in Miami. Meanwhile, Morocco's next test will be against Scotland in Foxborough, followed by a trip to Atlanta to play Haiti.