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Carlo Ancelotti and Brazil endured a difficult afternoon yesterday in their Group C face-off against Morocco, which ended in a 1-1 stalemate.
Facing off against the reigning Africa Cup of Nations champions — albeit, the strangest champions in the tournament’s history — the anticipation was high.
Brazil, footballing royalty, likely did not anticipate a first half of Morocco dominance, and national team boss Carlo Ancelotti made a worrying admission about his side in the aftermath of their performance.
‘Nerves all over the place’ admits Carlo Ancelotti after Brazil vs Morocco, World Cup 2026
The Brazilians had the opportunity to prevent Morocco’s first half dominance before it had even fully began, with a golden chance after just 13 minutes.
That opportunity fell to Brentford striker Igor Thiago, fresh off the back of a whopping 22 goal campaign in the 2025/26 Premier League season.
Bizarrely, the bagsman produced a miss that left pundits mystified and afraid to speak their mind, sending his header off target.
The opportunity amounted to 0.52xG, a staggering amount for an open play opportunity, with the ball travelling halfway to the corner flag.
Shortly after, Morocco opened the scoring with a glorious finish, entering the second half with a solid momentum and well-deserved lead.
In the second, Vinicius Jr was the hero for Brazil, scoring a wonderful goal of his own, and it’s perhaps no surprise that he was the man to do it considering Ancelotti’s post-match comments.
Vinicius knows how to handle and prevail over nerves at the highest level, having scored in and won two Champions League finals with Real Madrid.
Speaking after the match, Ancelotti said: “I think the team was a bit anxious in the beginning. Nerves were all over the place.
“[We] didn’t keep a lot of ball possession. In the second half, it was a lot better, but it was still tough. I’m sure the team will play better next match,” he continued.
While Brazil’s play did improve in the second half, Ancelotti’s side did not reach the same heights as Morocco’s early dominance, and created less attacking threat than their opponents.
Vinicius, arguably the best player for Brazil on the day, also offered firm words for his teammates, echoing Ancelotti’s concerns.
“We’ve got to hold onto the ball,” said the La Liga star. “We’ve got to move better… but I don’t think there’s a lot to say now. I think we really have to improve.”
