Brazil vs Morocco World Cup team news: Neymar, start time and how to watch | Football News

The 2026 World Cup will have 13 different kickoff times. You can use the Al Jazeera Sport widget to find out exactly when your team is playing in your local time.

Who: Brazil vs Morocco
What: FIFA World Cup 2026 Group C match
Where: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
When: Saturday, 6pm local time (22:00 GMT)
How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 19:00 GMT in advance of our live text commentary stream.

The biggest match of the 2026 World Cup so far will be played on Saturday when record five-time champions Brazil face African giants Morocco in a scintillating Group C fixture.

As the World Cup’s most successful side, Brazil are usually among the favourites for the title, but this time, they are not in the bookmakers’ top picks.

While Carlo Ancelotti’s team is one of the least fancied Brazilian World Cup sides of all time, the squad is still loaded with talent, boasting the likes of Vinicius Jr, Raphinha, and veteran Neymar Jr.

Unlike other teams, who open their campaign against more modest oppositions, Brazil have a rough start, facing the reigning African champions Morocco in what is expected to be their sternest group test.

With Achraf Hakimi and Brahim Diaz in their ranks, the Moroccan side is full of promise and firepower, and as history has shown, they are capable of challenging the world’s best.

Al Jazeera tells you all you need to know about Brazil vs Morocco:

Bruised Brazil begin hunt for sixth world title

With a new coach at the helm, a string of injuries and a chaotic qualifying campaign, Brazil have had far from a perfect run-up to the World Cup 2026.

Chasing a long-awaited record-extending sixth World Cup trophy, Ancelotti knows he has a big task on his hands to turn around the fortunes of a Brazilian team which suffered quarterfinal exits in four of the last five tournaments.

Brazil never slip quietly into a World Cup, but expectations are unusually restrained. It has been 24 years since they were last crowned world champions.

“It is a good thing that there are some doubts about the team, because that has been the case on other occasions in the past,” said goalkeeper Alisson, with a nod to Brazil teams at previous tournaments who were not considered favourites but went on to lift the trophy.

Brazil have a star-studded squad, starting with Marquinhos and Gabriel Magalhaes at the back, Vinicius Jr and Raphinha on the wings, and Matheus Cunha up top. Neymar is also back in the squad after a two and a half year absence, but his long decline from untouchable talisman to fitness gamble has added uncertainty to Brazil’s World Cup campaign.

Can Morocco stun Brazil?

Morocco were the great disruptors of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, knocking out Spain and Portugal before losing to France in the semifinals.

The first African and Arab nation to reach the World Cup semis, Morocco arrive at the 2026 tournament tipped to enjoy the best run from the teams in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

Built around a generation of players shaped in the academies and leagues of Spain and France, Morocco have enough quality to make Brazil’s opening night uncomfortable.

However, they also arrive amid turbulence of their own.

Morocco began 2026 by losing the Africa Cup of Nations final to Senegal on home soil, only to be ⁠later awarded the title controversially as their rivals were punished for walking off the ⁠pitch in protest over a penalty.

Long-serving coach Walid Regragui quit three months before the World Cup and was replaced by Belgian-born Mohamed Ouahbi, promoted from the youth set-up after guiding Morocco to the under-20 World Cup title in Chile last year.

Brazil vs Morocco prediction

Stats provider Opta Analyst has given Brazil a 57.7 percent chance of winning against Morocco, who have 18.8 percent odds of victory.

There is a 23.5 percent chance the match ends in a draw.

Overall, Brazil have a 65.85 percent shot at topping Group C, while Morocco has a 23.14 percent chance of the same.

How to watch Brazil vs Morocco?

Fans in Brazil can watch the match on SBT, GETV, Globoplay, sportv, NSPORTS, Caze TV and TV Globo. Kickoff is at 7pm local time in Rio de Janeiro.

In Morocco, the match kicks off at 11pm local time and viewers can watch the action live on beIN SPORTS Max 2 and 4.

Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch it on BBC One, BBC iPlayer, ITV and STV, while in the United States, fans can tune into FOX, Telemundo App and Network, FOX One and Peacock.

How does the World Cup group stage work?

Brazil, Morocco, Haiti and Scotland are in Group C.

The top two teams from each of the 12 groups – along with the eight best third-placed teams – proceed to the next phase, the round of 32, which has been introduced at the World Cup for the first time.

Form guide:

(Last five games, latest first)

Brazil: W-W-W-L-D

Morocco: D-W-W-W-D

Morocco have a better record than Brazil in the last five games, drawing with Norway and thrashing Madagascar in June friendlies. Before that, they thumped Burundi in May, and beat Panama and drew with Ecuador in March.

Brazil registered victories over Egypt and Panama in pre-World Cup friendlies and beat Croatia in March. But they lost to France in March and drew with Tunisia in November last year.

Brazil lead Morocco in head-to-head record

Saturday’s meeting will be the fourth time Brazil face Morocco. Brazil have two wins, while Morocco have one – their latest meeting in 2023, a friendly, which the Atlas Lions won 2-1.

The last time Brazil played Morocco at a World Cup was in 1998 – also in a group game – as Brazil won 3-0, thanks to goals from Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Bebeto.

Neymar ruled out for Brazil, Morocco lose Ezzalzouli and Aguerd

Rodrygo, Estevao, Eder ⁠Militao and Wesley – all potential starters for Brazil – are not in the squad due to injuries, while Neymar has been ruled out of the match against Morocco as he continues to recover from a calf injury. When he may return, and in what condition, remains uncertain.

Injuries have added to the disruption within Morocco’s squad, too, with Nayef Aguerd and Abde Ezzalzouli cut from the squad after being hurt in Morocco’s final friendly. Amine Sbai and Marwane Saadane have been named as their replacements.

Brazil predicted XI

Morocco predicted XI