Brazil will make its World Cup 2026 debut this Saturday, June 13, against Morocco at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, and Carlo Ancelotti has named his first starting XI for the tournament ahead of the Group C opener.
The five-time champions will line up with Alisson in goal; Douglas Santos, Marquinhos, Gabriel Magalhães and Roger Ibáñez across the back; Casemiro, Bruno Guimarães and Lucas Paquetá in midfield; and a forward trio of Vinícius Júnior, Raphinha and Igor Thiago up front. The selection marks Ancelotti’s first match as Brazil’s World Cup coach and presents the team fans expected to see on the tournament stage.
That lineup opens Group C, which also includes Scotland and Haiti, and arrives after Brazil’s final training session in Rutherford on June 12. The match is one of the fixtures scheduled for the third day of the tournament; other games that day involve Qatar, Switzerland, Haiti, Scotland, Australia and Turkey, and several venues including San Francisco, Boston and Vancouver will host early group matches alongside New Jersey.
Morocco’s starting eleven sets a clear counter: Yassine Bounou Bono in goal; Achraf Hakimi, Issa Diop, Chadi Riad and Noussair Mazraoui in defense; Azzedine Ounahi, Ayyoub Bouaddi, Neil El Aynaoui, Bilal El Khannouss and Ismael Saibari clustered through the middle; and Brahim Díaz as the lone forward. The Moroccan plan will aim to dominate midfield density and use Díaz as a focal point in attack, a scheme that directly contrasts with Brazil’s three-pronged offensive shape.
That tactical friction—Morocco reinforcing the centre of the park while deploying Brahim Díaz up front, against Brazil’s wider, faster attacking trident—frames the match’s immediate narrative. It forces Brazil to find space for Vinícius and Raphinha on the flanks and tests whether the hosts’ midfield trio can control transitions against a compact Moroccan core.
Practical details for viewers: the fixture will be controlled by Slovenian referee Slavko Vincic and kicks off at MetLife Stadium, one of four venues cited for early group play. Beyond the starting lists, the selection puzzle to watch is Brazil’s attack: Igor Thiago’s elevation into the starting trio is notable, and it appears to have displaced Matheus Cunha from the XI.
Coaches and commentators will be watching two linked storylines from the opening whistle. First, can Morocco’s crowded midfield both protect its back four and supply Brahim Díaz enough service to trouble Brazil’s defenders? Second, will Brazil’s balance—Casemiro shielding the backline while Paquetá and Bruno Guimarães advance—create the pockets of space needed by its wingers and the newcomer Igor Thiago?
One conspicuous gap remains unresolved before kick-off: the coaching staff has not explained why Matheus Cunha lost the starting berth to Igor Thiago. That omission is the match’s most immediate subtext for Brazil supporters—an unexplained change to the front line that may affect the team’s rhythm in the opening minutes.
The match will set the early hierarchy in Group C. When Brazil and Morocco take the field Saturday in New Jersey, the result will answer more than the usual opening-day questions: it will validate Ancelotti’s first World Cup selection or force a rethink, and it will test whether Morocco’s midfield emphasis and Brahim Díaz as a single striker can blunt the pace and width of Brazil’s attack.
