Semi-finalist in the 2022 World Cup, with a surprising campaign, the Morocco team will be Brazil’s first opponent in the 2026 World Cup. The two teams are in Group C, according to the draw held this Friday (5) by FIFA (International Football Federation).
It will be the second meeting between Brazilians and Moroccans in the World Cup. The first occurred in the 1998 edition, also in the group stage, when the Canarian team won 3-0, with goals from Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Bebeto.
More recently, there was a friendly between the teams in 2023, when the African team achieved its first victory against the Brazilians, 2-1+
The Moroccan team will compete in its seventh World Cup, the third in a row. It is the first time in its history that it has qualified for three consecutive editions.
Moroccan history in the tournament began in 1970, when the country became only the second African country, after Egypt in 1934, to compete on football’s biggest stage.
The Lions, as they are known, arrive in North America with the expectation of repeating their historic campaign in Qatar in 2022. On that occasion, they became the first African team to reach the semi-finals, leading a group that included Croatia, Belgium and Canada.
They then stunned Spain and Portugal in the knockout stages before falling to France in the semis and finishing fourth after a narrow 2-1 defeat to Croatia.
Morocco was the first African country to guarantee a place in the 2026 World Cup, sealing qualification on September 5, 2025 with a dominant 5-0 victory over Niger, which confirmed the leadership of Group E. The team won all eight games in the Qualifiers, finishing with 100% success.
Brazil fell into Group C, with its clashes scheduled for the 13th (Saturday), 19th (Friday) and 24th (Wednesday) of June.
The venues where all the teams will be concentrated, the stadiums and the times for each match will be announced this Saturday (6).
The top two in each group advance, plus the eight best third-placed teams, with the 32 teams now facing each other in knockout matches. There will be, in total, 104 matches.
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Country: Morocco
Federation: CAF (Confederation of African Football)
Highlight: Achraf Hakimi, 27, right-back
Participations in the World Cup: 7 – best position: 4th, in 2022
Performance in the Qualifiers: 100% (8V)
