Brazil vs Morocco Predictions
Morocco look like a dangerous dark horse in Group C, and I fancy the Atlas Lions to score and avoid defeat in Saturday's World Cup clash.
BTTS is my first pick, while I also have a stake on Morocco to win or draw.
Morocco Remain Tough-to-Beat
- Brazil failed to win 4 of their last 9 matches
- Brazil have seen BTTS in 6 of their last 7 matches
- Morocco are unbeaten in 43 of their last 44 matches
- Morocco have seen BTTS in 3 of their last 5 matches
Brazil and Morocco Level in H2H Record
Brazil and Morocco have met on two previous occasions. Brazil eased to a 3-0 win in their first-ever encounter at the FIFA World Cup in 1998.
Morocco gained revenge with a 2-1 friendly victory in their most recent meeting in 2023.
Brazil Edge Past Egypt
Brazil wrapped up their World Cup preparations with a hard-fought 2-1 victory against Egypt at Huntington Bank Field last weekend.
Newcastle midfielder Bruno Guimaraes grabbed an early opener before teenage forward Endrick sealed the win shortly after his introduction at half-time.
Carlo Ancelotti's side created the better openings in an entertaining contest in Cleveland. The Selecao registered 12 attempts to Egypt's five and finished with a superior xG tally of 1.04 compared to the Pharaohs’ 0.26.
The five-time World Cup winners arrive in the Americas in decent form after a mixed run of results over the past couple of years. Brazil won each of their last three matches, scoring 11 goals in the process.
Before their recent upturn in form, Brazil had failed to win six of ten matches played during a difficult 12-month period from March 2025.
Defensive vulnerabilities remain a concern, though. Carlo Ancelotti's side failed to keep clean sheets in recent victories against Croatia (3-1), Panama (6-2) and Egypt (2-1). The Selecao also conceded at least once in seven of their last nine internationals.
In-Form Morocco Held by Norway
Morocco face their first fixture at the 2026 World Cup after an entertaining 1-1 friendly draw against Norway last Sunday. The Atlas Lions made a bright start to the contest, with Brahim Diaz giving the Africans a deserved eighth-minute lead.
Despite having the better of the first half, Morocco were forced to settle for a draw after Martin Odegaard grabbed a late equaliser at Sports Illustrated Stadium.
The AFCON champions come into the World Cup with tremendous confidence, having enjoyed a 29-game unbeaten run in the past 10 months. Up to eighth in the FIFA World Rankings, Morocco have lost just two of 54 games played over the past three years.
Usually a reliable choice to get on the scoresheet, Mohamed Ouahbi's men scored at least one goal in 15 of their last 16 fixtures. Morocco scored nine goals in back-to-back friendly wins against Burundi (5-0) and Madagascar (4-0) before their draw with Norway.
Set to compete at the World Cup for the seventh time this summer, the Atlas Lions finished fourth in Qatar four years ago. Morocco had reached the round of sixteen just once in five previous World Cup finals appearances.
Squads and Team News
Brazil Squad
Goalkeepers: Alisson Becker, Weverton, Ederson
Defenders: Gabriel Magalhães, Marquinhos, Alex Sandro, Danilo, Bremer, Leo Pereira, Douglas Santos, Roger Ibañez
Midfielders: Ederson, Casemiro, Bruno Guimarães, Fabinho, Danilo Santos, Lucas Paquetá
Forwards: Vinícius Júnior, Matheus Cunha, Neymar, Raphinha, Endrick, Luiz Henrique, Gabriel Martinelli, Igor Thiago, Rayan
Head coach Ancelotti was forced into a late change to his 26-man squad following the withdrawal of full-back Wesley. Recently acquired Manchester United midfielder Ederson has been drafted into the Selecao.
Legendary forward Neymar is unavailable with a calf injury, while teenage star Endrick could be in line to start after impressing Ancelotti in the win against Egypt.
The Italian boss revealed that he already has his starting lineup in mind for the match against Morocco, insisting “the plan is very clear.”
"Endrick possesses incredible quality. He is extremely powerful, positions himself brilliantly inside the box, creates chances, and scored a crucial goal," Ancelotti admitted after the game.
"Every single player in this squad is important, each bringing unique traits. Matheus Cunha might not have the same finishing clinical edge as Endrick, but he remains vital for our buildup play."
Morocco Squad
Goalkeepers: Yassine Bounou, Munir Mohamedi, Ahmed Reda Tagnaouti
Defenders: Achraf Hakimi, Noussair Mazraoui, Nayef Aguerd, Zakaria El Ouahdi, Issa Diop, Chadi Riad, Youssef Belammari, Redouane Halhal, Anass Salah-Eddine
Midfielders: Sofyan Amrabat, Ayyoub Bouaddi, Chemsdine Talbi, Azzedine Ounahi, Ismael Saibari, Samir El Mourabet, Gessime Yassine, Bilal El Khannouss, Neil El Aynaoui
Forwards: Soufiane Rahimi, Brahim Díaz, Abde Ezzalzouli, Ayoub El Kaabi
Morocco boss Mohamed Ouahbi has a couple of injury issues this weekend. Real Betis forward Abde Ezzalzouli will be assessed after picking up a knock in the draw against Norway.
Manchester United defender Noussair Mazraoui is likely to feature despite reports of a shoulder injury sustained in training.
"The situation is the following," a source within the camp told ESPN. "For Ezzalzouli, we will wait two days just to be sure, to study [the injury] and to make a deeper analysis.
"For Mazraoui, he received a hit on his shoulder, and he will resume training in the coming days."