World Cup: Ancelotti ‘a little worried’ after Morocco frustrate Brazil in their opener
Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti shared his frustration, admitting that it was not the best of starts for his team in the 1-1 draw against Morocco on Sunday, June 14, 2026, in the Group C clash of the 2026 World Cup.
Speaking after the match, the veteran Italian gaffer said he was a ‘little worried’ about the performance of the five-time world champions.
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The selection found themselves trailing in the match inside the opening half hour after Brahim Diaz picked a pass in the middle of the pack to pick out Ismael Saibari, who lobbed an onrushing Alisson for a sublime opener.
Morocco dominates
Despite the Africans maintaining the tempo of the clash, they had several chances to seal the game but spurned them while still just maintaining dominance against the South Americans.
It took an individual moment of brilliance from Real Madrid ace Vinicius Junior to see the side salvage a point after levlling the tie with a super curler from inside the box past Yacine Bounou.
A little worried
“I think we did not start very well; I am a little worried. We lost a lot of duels and possession, but we improved in the second half of a difficult match because Morocco is a good team.
“In the first half, we had difficulty getting out of the pressure; we could have had more control,” he added.
With injury to mercurial Neymar locking him out of the opener, the Italian started with Igor Thiago and Raphinha on the attack as Endrick, Mateus Cunha, and Gabriel Martinelli were among those left to contend for a place on the substitute bench.
The gaffer admitted that his team, deemed as favourites for the clash, could have had a far better start and imposed themselves on the game.
“[Was I] satisfied? Not really. I expected a better start. But things can happen. Now I’m going to focus on the next game.”
Apology
The legendary coach also apologised to fans for the performance as he swerved questions over the fielding of players.
“I am not here to talk about players individually. I think the athletes who came on played a good game,” he stated when asked about Endrick.
Brazil’s next group tie is against Haiti on June 20, 2026. The draw left the South Americans third on the log after Scotland edged the Caribbean nation 1-0 in the other group tie.
