Carlo Ancelotti made his FIFA World Cup debut as a coach as Brazil drew 1-1 against Morocco in their Group C match at the New York New Jersey Stadium on Saturday.
Ismael Saibari broke the deadlock for the Atlas Lions before Vinicius Junior equalized with a stunning right-footed curler in the first half.
After the break, neither side could find a breakthrough, despite Ancelotti bringing on Manchester United striker Matheus Cunha and Zenit St. Petersburg winger Luiz Henrique.
«The match was difficult, especially in the first half. It was exciting, there was loss of ball and there was little balance on the field. The second half was much better,» said Ancelotti.
«The team will improve in the next match. The team had problems in the first half. Lost a lot of balls. We have to improve in that area. We cannot lose confidence. In a first cup match, anything can happen. In the first match the team would not be perfect.»
One of the main talking points of the match was that Endrick was not used as a substitute. The 19-year-old scored eight goals and assisted as many for Lyon in the 2025/26 season, helping the club finish fourth in Ligue 1.
The Italian coach was asked about the youngster after the match, but Ancelotti decided to dodge the question. «I’m not going to comment on individual players. I’m here to talk about the team,» the coach said.
Brazil’s next match will be against Haiti, which qualified for the World Cup after 52 years and is currently trailing 0-1 to Scotland at the Boston Stadium.
Published on June 14, 2026
