Vinicius Jr steps into spotlight as Brazil begin World Cup campaign against Morocco

As Brazil national football team prepare to begin their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign against Morocco on Saturday, Vinicius Jr has made clear how significant the tournament is for him.

“This is the most important time in my life and in my career,” the 25-year-old Vinicius Jr and Real Madrid star said on Friday.

With veteran Neymar officially ruled out of the Morocco match due to a lingering calf injury that disrupted his preparation, Vinicius Jr is now firmly the central figure of Brazil’s squad. The team is still trying to rebound from a difficult stretch earlier in the decade.

Those setbacks include losing the 2021 Copa America final at home to Argentina, being eliminated by Croatia in the 2022 World Cup quarterfinals, and exiting the 2024 Copa America on penalties against Uruguay.

In response, the Brazilian Football Confederation brought in former club manager Carlo Ancelotti to help stabilize and reshape the project.

Vinicius Jr emphasized how much he benefits from working again with Ancelotti:

"Playing with Ancelotti always makes me very confident, because he allows me the freedom and confidence to do (what) I‍‍`ve done with Real Madrid, now playing for the national team," Vinicius Jr. said.

The pair previously enjoyed major success together at club level, winning two UEFA Champions League titles, two La Liga championships, and the 2022 FIFA Club World Cup. Vinicius also scored Brazil’s first goal under Ancelotti’s tenure in a narrow 1-0 World Cup qualifying win over Paraguay last June.

If Brazil hope for a strong return to global dominance, they face a challenging opening match. Morocco arrive with high expectations after becoming the first African team to reach a World Cup semifinal in 2022.

More recently, Morocco were beaten by Senegal in extra time in a controversial African Cup of Nations final, later being awarded the title on appeal after Senegal walked off in protest over a disputed penalty decision.

However, Morocco will be missing two key starters—center back Nayef Aguerd and winger Abde Ezzalzouli—both ruled out due to late injuries. Manager Mohamed Ouahbi, appointed in March, insisted the absences will not force tactical changes.

"We‍‍`re not going to change our principles too much," Ouahbi said. "We‍‍`ve showed very good things and we‍‍`ll be sticking to our guns. It‍‍`s not because we are playing a first game of a World Cup that we are going to change everything."

Elsewhere in the tournament:

Group B action features Qatar vs Switzerland in Santa Clara, California. After co-host Canada opened with a 1-1 draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina, both Qatar and Switzerland have an opportunity to take early control of the group, with Switzerland entering as clear favorites.

In Group C, Haiti meet Scotland in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Scotland are playing their first World Cup match since 1998, while Haiti are appearing in only their second World Cup in history and their first since 1974.

In Group D, Australia face Turkey in Vancouver. Both teams are also scheduled opponents for the United States later in the group stage, giving manager Mauricio Pochettino a chance to scout them during live action.