Brazil are the pick here, and the recommended bet is a home win at 1.57. The Seleção arrive in devastating attacking form, having outscored opponents 13-7 across their last five matches, including a 6-2 demolition of Panama and a 3-1 win over Croatia. Predicted score: Brazil 2-1 Morocco. Confidence: Medium. The single cautionary note is Morocco’s demonstrated ability to absorb pressure and punish on the counter – they beat Brazil 2-1 in the most recent H2H meeting in 2023, and their unbeaten run stretching deep into 2025 underlines that these are no pushover. Neymar’s fitness doubt for the opener removes one weapon from Ancelotti’s arsenal, but the attacking depth elsewhere – Vinícius Júnior, Raphinha, Matheus Cunha – is more than sufficient to find a way through. This should be an open, goal-rich contest that Brazil edge with a margin of one, though Morocco will not surrender without a serious fight.

Date: June 13, 2026
Kick-off (CET): 00:00 CET (June 14)
Venue: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, USA
Group: C

Betting Odds
Home Win (1): 1.57
Draw (X): 4.00
Away Win (2): 5.25

Table Of Contents

Brazil Recent Form

Brazil: W W W D L

Date	Opponent	Result	Competition
Jun 6, 2026	Egypt	2-1 W	International Friendly
May 31, 2026	Panama	6-2 W	International Friendly
Apr 1, 2026	Croatia	3-1 W	International Friendly
Mar 26, 2026	France	1-2 L	International Friendly
Nov 18, 2025	Tunisia	1-1 D	International Friendly

Brazil enter the World Cup in commanding pre-tournament form, winning three of their last five and scoring 13 goals across that run. The 6-2 thrashing of Panama showcased exactly what this attack is capable of when it clicks – relentless movement, clinical finishing, and an ability to turn possession into goals at pace. Their defeat to France in March was the one blip, but that result came in a rotated lineup and has since been emphatically answered by back-to-back winning performances. Carlo Ancelotti has brought structure without sacrificing flair, and Brazil look balanced in a way that previous squads under recent coaches did not. They are conceding, which Morocco’s scouting team will note – but at the other end, this Seleção attack is genuinely difficult to contain for 90 minutes.

Morocco Recent Form

Morocco: W W W W D

Date	Opponent	Result	Competition
Jun 2, 2026	Madagascar	4-0 W	International Friendly
May 26, 2026	Burundi	5-0 W	International Friendly
Mar 31, 2026	Paraguay	2-1 W	International Friendly
Mar 27, 2026	Ecuador	1-1 D	International Friendly
Jan 13, 2026	Senegal (AFCON)	0-1 L	Africa Cup of Nations

Morocco arrive at this World Cup in excellent shape, having won four of their last five and kept three consecutive clean sheets in the process. The 4-0 and 5-0 wins over Madagascar and Burundi were not against elite opposition, but they showcased a disciplined defensive structure and a clinical edge in front of goal. More tellingly, the 2-1 friendly win over Paraguay in March confirmed Morocco can score and manage games against South American opposition. Their only loss in this stretch came to Senegal at the Africa Cup of Nations, a result that has since been overshadowed by controversy around the tournament’s final. Under new coach Mohamed Ouahbi, Morocco look tactically organized and are building confidence at the right moment heading into one of the tournament’s most compelling group-stage fixtures.

Head-to-Head Record

Date	Home	Result	Away	Competition
Mar 25, 2023	Morocco	2-1	Brazil	International Friendly
Jun 16, 1998	Brazil	3-0	Morocco	FIFA World Cup, Group Stage

Matches played: 2
Brazil wins: 1 Draws: 0
Morocco wins: 1
Last meeting: Morocco 2-1 Brazil, March 25, 2023, International Friendly

The head-to-head record between these two nations is remarkably slim – just two meetings in nearly 30 years, which immediately tells you there is no dominant historical pattern to rely on. Brazil’s win matters more in context because it came at a World Cup, when the stakes were real and the pressure was amplified; they swept Morocco 3-0 in the 1998 group stage with Ronaldo, Rivaldo, and Bebeto all contributing. The most recent encounter flips the narrative entirely: Morocco beat Brazil 2-1 in front of 63,500 fans in Tangier in March 2023, becoming the first Moroccan side to ever defeat the five-time world champions. That result was built on relentless pressing, sharp counter-attacks, and a partisan atmosphere that drove every inch of effort from the Atlas Lions. On a neutral MetLife surface, the crowd factor disappears – and Brazil will be targeting revenge.

Team News and Key Players

Brazil injuries/suspensions:

Player	Status	Expected Return
Neymar	Calf injury (Grade 2)	Doubtful – possibly Brazil’s second match vs. Haiti

Brazil key player: Vinícius Júnior – the Real Madrid forward arrived at the World Cup in relentless club form, with 16 La Liga goals and five assists this season, and his pace and directness represent the single most dangerous weapon in Brazil’s arsenal against Morocco’s organised defensive shape.

Morocco injuries/suspensions:

Player	Status	Expected Return
Achraf Hakimi	Thigh injury (late April)	Included in squad – fitness monitored

Morocco key player: Brahim Díaz – the Real Madrid playmaker switched allegiance from Spain in 2023 and is making his first World Cup appearance for Morocco, bringing elite club-level quality to the role behind the striker, and his ability to find pockets between the lines could unlock Brazil’s otherwise solid midfield block.

Neymar’s calf injury is the dominant team-news story surrounding this fixture, and its significance should not be understated. His absence from the Panama and Egypt friendlies left Brazil without a recognized No. 10 and placed extra creative burden on Raphinha and Vinícius to invent moments. However, Brazil looked entirely capable without him – the 6-2 and 2-1 wins demonstrated that Ancelotti’s attack does not depend on any single individual. Morocco’s fitness concern centres on Hakimi, whose thigh issue from April makes his availability for June 13 uncertain; if he cannot start, Morocco lose their primary attacking outlet from right back and a significant portion of their pressing engine. These two injury situations cut in Brazil’s favour for the opener.

Tournament Context

Brazil carry the weight of a 24-year World Cup drought into this opener, with the last of their five titles coming in 2002 – and the expectation of a nation that regards anything less than the trophy as failure. A positive opening result against Morocco would immediately set the tone for a potential Group C title-winning run, with the subsequent fixtures against Haiti and Scotland offering more comfortable territory. Morocco, meanwhile, are the most credible second seed in Group C and will know that a point or better against Brazil would fundamentally reshape their path through the group. This is also Morocco’s seventh World Cup appearance, with the shadow of their historic 2022 semi-final run making anything short of the knockout stages feel like regression. New coach Ouahbi faces his first major test at senior level in the most demanding circumstances possible – opening against one of the tournament’s favourites on the biggest stage. The group dynamic means this result will shape the rest of June for both nations.

Our Prediction

Recommended bet: Home win (1)
Confidence: Medium
Predicted score: Brazil 2-1 Morocco

Brazil’s attacking firepower, tournament pedigree, and superior squad depth make them the clear pick to win this World Cup opener. The medium confidence rating reflects Morocco’s genuine ability to hurt anyone on the counter, as demonstrated by their 2023 friendly win and their quarter-final and semi-final performances in 2022 – these are not a team that simply rolls over for big names. Neymar’s likely absence takes some creative tension away from Brazil’s attack, but Vinícius Júnior, Raphinha, and Matheus Cunha represent more than adequate firepower to unlock Morocco’s defensive structure over the course of 90 minutes. Morocco will make Brazil work for every goal and will likely score themselves through a counter or a set piece. A 2-1 scoreline captures the most probable narrative: Brazil control large portions of the match and find two goals, Morocco punish one defensive lapse, and the Seleção hold on for three valuable opening-day points.