Overview
- Brazil and Morocco played to a 1-1 draw at MetLife Stadium after Ismael Saibari put Morocco ahead and Vinícius Júnior levelled, a result that Brazilian media described as an insufficient display.
- Coach Carlo Ancelotti acknowledged the need to improve and said the tournament is only beginning, but domestic criticism has intensified and Brazil now faces a must-win expectation for its next match against Haiti.
- Qatar earned a 1-1 draw with Switzerland when Khoukhi scored with a 95th-minute header to salvage the hosts’ first-ever point at a World Cup finals after Breel Embolo had converted a penalty.
- Opening-day action produced several notable results that keep groups open, including Australia 2-0 Turkey, Scotland 1-0 Haiti, Netherlands 2-2 Japan, Sweden 5-1 Tunisia and Ivory Coast 1-0 Ecuador.
- Tactical storylines emerged as Morocco impressed with aggressive high pressing under new coach Mohamed Ouahbi and debutant nations such as Curaçao and Cape Verde drew attention in the expanded 2026 tournament format.