🇧🇷 Brazil vs 🇲🇦 Morocco

Brazil haven't won a World Cup since 2002. By their own standards, that's a 24-year national emergency. They've reached the semi-finals three times since and been knocked out each time in increasingly painful ways. This fact alone explains a lot about the Brazilian national mood.

Neymar is back at 34 after a serious knee injury. He's Brazil's all-time top scorer, but has spent more time injured than playing at the last two World Cups. Fans are cautiously optimistic, which for Brazil fans is an unusual emotional state.

They're in Group C with Morocco, Haiti and Scotland. Brazil are expected to win this group so comfortably that any slip would dominate global sports news for about a week. Scotland fans are already preparing to be philosophical about it.

Brazil are managed by Dorival Júnior — the fourth different manager they've had since 2019. That's not a sign of a settled, confident operation. If someone asks why Brazil seem slightly disorganised, this is your answer.

Five World Cup titles, more than anyone else. Every tournament they enter comes with the weight of expectation that no other country has to deal with. It's both their greatest strength and the reason their fans always look slightly stressed.

Morocco were the story of the 2022 World Cup — the first African and Arab nation ever to reach a semi-final. They beat Spain and Portugal on the way. Nobody saw it coming. They did it with organisation, belief and some genuinely brilliant goalkeeping.

Most of their squad plays in Europe's top leagues, which wasn't the case a generation ago. The quality jump is real, not a fluke — and if anything the current side is better than the one that shocked the world in Qatar.

Manager Walid Regragui took over just months before the 2022 World Cup and immediately took them to the semi-finals. That's either extremely impressive or evidence that the squad is so good the manager barely matters. Probably a bit of both.

Morocco are in Group C with Brazil, Haiti and Scotland. They're realistically competing with Brazil to top the group. If they do, and you've been following them since 2022, you're allowed to feel smug about having 'always believed in them'.

The crowd at Morocco games is genuinely extraordinary — they travel in huge numbers, are incredibly passionate, and create an atmosphere that noticeably affects the opposition. Worth mentioning if someone asks why Morocco keep winning games they 'shouldn't'.