Romanticism, Samba nostalgia, and the weight of a record five World Cup titles -- all of it met a sobering dose of reality as Brazil began their Hexa campaign with a 1-1 draw against Morocco at the New York-New Jersey Stadium on Sunday.

When the announcement of the player of the match came, a few eyebrows were raised. Many felt the award should have gone to Morocco's 18-year-old midfield sensation Ayyoub Bouaddi instead of Brazil's Vinicius Junior after a pulsating 1-1 draw in New Jersey on Sunday.

“Brazil and Argentina fans in Bangladesh and around the world often treat a draw like a defeat. They simply can’t accept it,” said Masud Parvez Kaiser, former Bangladesh national football team coach and an avid Brazil supporter.

Celebrate Morocco's dramatic rise from Qatar semi-finalists to holding Brazil in the 2026 World Cup. Explore the historic colonial roots behind their French FIFA scoreboard code MAR, proving football heritage transcends linguistic boundaries.

Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior lashed in a superbly taken equaliser in the 32nd minute after a brilliant counter-attacking goal by Ismael Saibari had given Morocco an early le

Former national forward-turned-coach Alfaz Ahmed believes Brazil’s opening match serves as the spark for that nationwide excitement, even though this Selecao side is less familiar to supporters than the squads of recent editions.

Brazil face World Cup semi-finalists Morocco in a friendly in Tangier on Saturday with Under-20 coach Ramon Menezes acting as caretaker while the Brazilian FA search for a new manager.

Tottenham forward Richarlison and Paris Saint-Germain defender Marquinhos will both miss Brazil's friendly against Morocco on March 25 due to injury, joining star Neymar on the absent list, the team said.