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The first big match of the 2026 World Cup lived up to expectations on Saturday in New York, where Brazil was held to a draw by Morocco after a hard-fought duel (1-1), with each team picking up a point that keeps the suspense alive in Group C.
Moroccans all pumped up
Facing the Seleçao, who haven’t lifted the ultimate trophy in 24 years, Achraf Hakimi’s Moroccans showed up all pumped up with their African champions title reclaimed in mid-March off the field.They proved it right from the start by suffocating the Brazilians, who were still chasing their sixth star. Semi-finalists in the last edition, the Atlas Lions were rewarded by taking the lead in the 21st minute with a goal from Ismaël Saibari, who, taking advantage of a brilliant pass from Brahim Diaz, cleverly finished with a lob over Brazilian keeper Alisson.
The match then evened out, and Vinicius Jr stepped up to bring his team back on level terms before halftime with a powerful shot.
To restore the Seleção’s shine, Brazil decided to hire one of the greatest coaches in history, Italian Carlo Ancelotti. But the 67-year-old, making his World Cup coaching debut in New York, was unable to find a solution against the Moroccans, who proved that they would be a team to reckon with in this World Cup.Before the tournament, ‘Carleto’ had given in to public pressure by recalling Neymar, but injured, the star had to settle on Saturday for a role as a supporter on the sidelines.
In the other Group C match in Boston, Scotland faces Haiti, one of the ‘underdogs’ of this 48-team tournament. The Haitians haven’t taken part in a World Cup since 1974, and the Scots since 1998.A first for Qatar
In 2022 at home, during their first World Cup appearance, the Qataris lost to Ecuador, Senegal, and the Netherlands, scoring only one goal in total. They’ve already done better in the United States by securing a draw (1-1) at the end of stoppage time (90+4) in Santa Clara, near San Francisco.
A poor performance for Switzerland in this Group B, where every team has one point, after Friday’s opening 1-1 draw between Canada and Bosnia-Herzegovina.Pour la première fois de ce Mondial, quatre rencontrent se jouent le même jour, samedi (heure locale). En clôture de la journée, l’Australie se mesurera à la Turquie à 21h00 à Vancouver (04h00 GMT dimanche).
Le Mondial concurrencé par les Knicks
A New York, le premier choc du Mondial a vite été eclipsé par la finale du championnat de NBA de basket. Une demi-heure après la fin de Brésil-Maroc, les Knicks, l’équipe locale, ont entamé le 5e match de la finale de NBA contre les Spurs de Victor Wembanyama, avec en cas de victoire un titre de champion espéré depuis plus de 50 ans.Local authorities have deployed massive resources to manage the transport of tens of thousands of soccer fans to and from New Jersey, as well as the broadcasting of the basketball game in the three official fan zones in Manhattan and in bars.
In a video released Saturday morning, Mayor Zohran Mamdani called on New Yorkers to ‘show the world how we celebrate joyfully and responsibly.’Controversy over the Partey case
The Ghanaian government officially lodged a protest on Saturday with Canadian authorities, asking them to reverse their “unfortunate decision” to deny a visa to Ghanaian midfielder Thomas Partey, who is accused of rape in the UK and will be tried there in 2027.
This refusal, announced on Friday, means that the former Arsenal player, who now plays in Spain for Villarreal, is expected to miss the match against Panama on June 17 in Toronto. However, he will be able to play in the other two group L matches against England in Boston and against Croatia in Philadelphia, since the United States has granted him a visa, citing his presumption of innocence.
