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Vinicius Jr produced a moment of brilliance to inject life into an otherwise uninspired Brazil performance, as the Selecao began their World Cup campaign with a 1-1 draw against Morocco in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Brazil began sluggishly and conceded first, but their star winger’s magic equaliser restored balance before half-time. Both sides seemed content to share the spoils, with easier fixtures ahead.

Brazil struggled to find rhythm early and paid the price. Morocco’s opener was beautifully crafted — Brahim Diaz, who was lively throughout, threaded a clever pass between the Brazilian centre-backs. Ismael Saibari, fresh from scoring 15 goals for PSV this season, latched onto it and dinked over a helpless Alisson.

The goal left Carlo Ancelotti with much to contemplate. The Brazil coach admitted afterward that his team’s first-half strategy might need adjustment.

“We have to reassess what we did in the first half... we cannot lose heart. This is the first match of the World Cup,” Ancelotti stated.

However, he dismissed criticism of his initial team selection: “We have to accept criticism. The starting XI was well thought of. I will not take any criticism about the players that started the match.”

Then came Brazil’s response out of nowhere. Vinicius seized on his first real opportunity. Given too much space by Morocco, the Real Madrid forward cut inside onto his right foot and unleashed a stunning strike into the top corner — igniting a subdued stadium.

Ancelotti had only praise for his key man afterward. “Vinicius did well. He was very dangerous, and he has everything in his power to have a good World Cup,” he said.

The second half promised more but delivered little. Casemiro, who had endured a torrid 45 minutes, was replaced at the interval by Matheus Cunha, who added energy but little end product. Despite Vinicius continuing to threaten, Brazil couldn’t find a second goal, while Morocco were content to hold firm.

For Ancelotti, this result was neither disastrous nor satisfying — more a reminder that his side remains a work in progress. “The team fought really hard until the last minute. I think what we have to do better is very clear. What we did well in the first two friendly matches did not go very well in the first half of this match,” he said.

“I'm not disappointed, and I'm not satisfied either. We have to work, we need to work, of course, and that's normal. The Moroccans played well... this was a difficult game.”

Here are GOAL’s ratings for Brazil’s players at the New York/New Jersey Stadium:

Goalkeeper & Defence

Alisson (6/10): Made a few tidy saves and had no chance with the goal conceded.

Roger Ibanez (4/10): A dreadful first half, repeatedly exposed by Morocco’s attackers.

Marquinhos (5/10): Caught out of position for the Moroccan goal and looked unsteady at times.

Gabriel (6/10): Partly responsible for the opener but recovered well as the match progressed.

Douglas Santos (5/10): Struggled to influence proceedings and looked short of ideas.

Midfield

Casemiro (4/10): Endured a torrid outing in midfield, constantly off the pace, booked before the interval, and substituted at half-time.

Bruno Guimaraes (6/10): The more composed of the midfield duo, assisted Vinicius’s goal and covered ground effectively.

Lucas Paqueta (5/10): Largely anonymous in the first half but later forced an excellent save from Yassine Bounou. Ended the match with the most defensive contributions for Brazil.

Attack

Raphinha (6/10): Wasteful in the first half but created a few chances after the break. A fair performance overall though he could have done more.

Igor Thiago (6/10): Held up play well on occasions and managed a shot on target but was otherwise quiet.

Vinicius Jr (8/10): Scored from his first clear chance and remained Brazil’s most dangerous player throughout. Unlucky not to add to his tally.

Substitutes & Manager

Danilo (6/10): Delivered a solid shift at full-back despite his advancing years.

Fabinho (6/10): Worked hard defensively and filled gaps effectively though contributed little in possession.

Matheus Cunha (6/10): Added energy but lacked incisive quality in attack.

Luiz Henrique (5/10): Managed only 14 touches in a largely ineffective half-hour cameo.

Danilo (N/A): The Botafogo defender had insufficient time to make an impression.

Carlo Ancelotti (5/10): A mixed World Cup debut for the veteran coach. Morocco were strong, but Brazil will feel they should have done more to win.

How far can Brazil go in this World Cup?