The most anticipated fixture of the opening weekend unfolded at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium on Saturday, as five-time champions Brazil began their quest for a sixth World Cup title against a Morocco side that reached the semi-finals in 2022. Carlo Ancelotti’s debut as Brazil head coach at a World Cup was overshadowed by the confirmed absence of the injured Neymar, a calf problem keeping the 34-year-old forward out of at least the opener and possibly the entire group phase. Ancelotti, who won the 1994 World Cup as Italy’s assistant coach and has subsequently claimed every major club honour, described the role as a “special” honour and a “great responsibility”, urging his squad to meet the expectations of a country that has not lifted the trophy since 2002. From Rabat, the mood was one of quiet defiance: Moroccan coach Mohamed Ouahbi insisted his team would not fear Brazil, pointing to the Atlas Lions’ recent record of eliminating Spain and Portugal en route to the historic fourth-place finish in Qatar.

Elsewhere in Group C, Haiti and Scotland returned to the World Cup stage after remarkably long absences, meeting at Boston’s Gillette Stadium. Haiti’s last appearance came in 1974, their sole previous qualification, while Scotland ended a 28-year wait dating back to France 1998. For Haiti, the match carried deep symbolic weight, the team having played all its home qualifiers on neutral soil in Curaçao due to the country’s political and security crises. Scotland’s manager Steve Clarke warned his side to be wary of Haiti’s attacking threat, while the Scots were boosted by the recovery of Napoli midfielder Scott McTominay from a stomach illness. Both teams understand that a positive result is essential if they are to challenge Brazil and Morocco in one of the tournament’s most competitive groups.

The day’s earlier kick-off saw Qatar, the 2022 hosts who lost all three group games on home soil, take on Switzerland in Santa Clara. Under Julen Lopetegui, Qatar are still searching for a first World Cup victory, while Switzerland arrived confident after topping their European qualifying group. Later, Australia and Turkey were due to open Group D in Vancouver, with co-hosts United States having already thrashed Paraguay 4-1 to set an early marker. Viewers across the globe followed the action via a patchwork of broadcasters—from CazéTV and Globo in Brazil to TVRI in Indonesia and Fox in the United States—underscoring the tournament’s sprawling reach.

Viewed from São Paulo, the pressure on Ancelotti reflects a nation’s anxiety to end a 24-year drought that is already the longest without a title since Brazil’s first triumph in 1958. Yet analysts in Europe note that the Italian’s club pedigree offers no guarantee at international level, where preparation time is limited and the emotional weight of a nation is different from that of a Champions League campaign. With Neymar’s fitness uncertain and the group stage still in its infancy, the opening weekend has already exposed the fragility of reputations and the ambition of newcomers in the expanded 48-team format. The question hanging over New York was not simply whether Brazil could beat Morocco, but whether this Seleção can finally carry the burden that has crushed its predecessors.