Fifa World Cup Saturday: Brazil battle Morocco while Scotland end 28-year exile

Five-time world champions Brazil officially roll into the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Saturday when they face off against 2022 semi-finalists Morocco in one of the most glamorous and highly anticipated fixtures of the group stage.

On the very first day of the tournament to feature a packed four-match slate — following this year’s expansion to a 48-team format — Scotland will make their emotional return to the world stage for the first time since 1998 when they take on debutants Haiti in Boston. In Saturday’s other fixtures, 2022 hosts Qatar square off against Switzerland in Santa Clara, California, before Australia face a stern opening test against Turkey in Vancouver to close out the day’s action.

The blockbuster schedule follows a dream opening night for co-hosts the United States, who launched their home tournament in emphatic fashion on Friday by thrashing Paraguay 4-1. The clinical display delighted a star-studded, 70,000-strong crowd at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, which featured A-list onlookers Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Cruise, and David Beckham.

On Saturday, however, the global footballing gaze fixes entirely on New Jersey. The Selecao may not wield the terrifying aura of previous generations, but they remain the ultimate box-office draw in international football.

Elite Italian tactician Carlo Ancelotti has been drafted in by the Brazilian Football Confederation to try and end the nation’s agonising 24-year wait for a sixth global crown. Making his highly anticipated World Cup managerial debut, the 67-year-old former Real Madrid boss remains fiercely convinced that he commands a roster capable of matching any heavyweight.

“It is a completely new experience, and it is a massive responsibility to represent the literal country of football,” Ancelotti stated on Friday. “We have a squad that can compete with every single team in the world — we are absolutely convinced of that. It is a group packed with immense quality and experience, and we possess total confidence ahead of the opening whistle.”

Brazil endured a notoriously rocky CONMEBOL qualification campaign to reach North America, suffering six defeats across an 18-match schedule to finish a lowly fifth — a position that in previous cycles would have condemned them to an unpredictable intercontinental playoff.

Compounding matters, forward pairing Rodrygo and Estevao have been entirely excluded from the tournament roster due to injury. Meanwhile, fading superstar Neymar will sit out Saturday’s curtain-raiser, though Ancelotti confirmed the 34-year-old is “working exceptionally hard to recover from a calf injury as quickly as possible.” Remarkably, Neymar has not featured in a competitive match for his country since 2023.

The mounting absences heap immense pressure onto the shoulders of Vinicius Junior. Fresh from a spectacular 21-goal season for Real Madrid, the explosive winger must provide the primary offensive spearhead if Brazil are to shine, though Barcelona’s Raphinha is also expected to chip in with vital goal-scoring support.

They face a Morocco side that famously stunned the sports world four years ago in Qatar by becoming the first African nation in history to reach the final four. The Atlas Lions arrive in the US having recently been awarded the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title on home soil following an unprecedented, chaotic final.

Senegal had initially won the showpiece match 1-0 after extra time but were subsequently stripped of the trophy after storming off the pitch in a furious protest against a late penalty decision.

Morocco are also navigating their own managerial transition. Head coach Mohamed Ouahbi, who replaced history-maker Walid Regragui in March following his success with the U20 side, believes his team is primed for the grand stage.

“It is a massive fixture that will immediately tell us exactly where we stand, but I believe we are in a very good place to start this competition,” Ouahbi asserted. “A lot of people are saying that this is not the terrifying Brazil of old, but at the end of the day, it is still Brazil.”

AFP