Morocco have vowed to remain true to their identity when they face Brazil in one of the most anticipated matches of the opening round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The Atlas Lions take on the five-time world champions in their Group C opener on Saturday, with coach Mohamed Ouahbi and captain Achraf Hakimi insisting their side will approach the contest with confidence rather than fear.
The fixture is regarded as one of the standout matches of the group stage and is the only opening-round encounter featuring two nations ranked inside FIFA’s top 10.
Brazil enter the tournament ranked sixth in the world, while Morocco sit eighth after several years of impressive progress on the international stage.
Speaking ahead of the game, Ouahbi made it clear that his team would not abandon the principles that have helped establish Morocco as one of Africa’s leading football nations.
“We have to have confidence in ourselves. We know Morocco has entered another dimension. We have to accept that. We shouldn’t fear Brazil, but respect them.
“We’re not going to change our principles and we’ll continue to play our game. We’re not going to make any drastic changes; we anticipated the possibility of players being unavailable. It doesn’t change much for us.”
Morocco’s confidence is built on a strong recent record.
The Atlas Lions have established themselves among Africa’s elite sides and were the only African nation to win all eight of their qualifying matches for the 2026 World Cup.
Their reputation has continued to grow since their historic run to the semi-finals at the 2022 World Cup, where they became the first African team to reach the last four of the competition.
Captain Hakimi echoed his coach’s belief that Morocco can compete with the world’s best.
“We know the quality of Brazil, but we have quality too. In Africa, we’re called the Brazilians of Africa. We’re ready to do something great with the support of the Moroccans.
“We’re going to perform well and get off to a good start tomorrow. We’re an African country, so we’re used to the heat here. We came early to adapt. We’re ready for the final training session and to play in the best possible conditions,” he said.
The Paris Saint-Germain full-back also spoke about the challenge of facing Brazil’s attacking talent, including Vinicius Junior.
“It will be 50-50, a balanced match. The details will make the difference, but we hope things will go our way. We’ll need to score and, above all, defend well. Everyone knows Brazil. We know Vinicius’s quality. I’ve played against him several times.
“To defend against him or anyone else, you have to defend together. We’ve prepared for all of this. The team is ready, and I feel ready and confident to play a great match.”
