The many worlds of a World Cup

As I was sitting in the stands of the MetLife Stadium, waiting for the kick-off between Brazil and Morocco, the man behind me tapped me on the shoulder and asked me something in Portuguese. Given that I was wearing a Brazilian jersey, it was easy to see why he might have mistaken me for a Brazilian fan without seeing my face. The stands were filled with thousands of fans who had made the trip from Brazil. After clearing up his doubts with the only Portuguese phrase that I knew, “nao falo portugues”, we started talking about our thoughts on the team and their prospects for the World Cup. I explained that my love for Brazil was a legacy passed down from my grandfather to my father and finally to me. After talking a bit more, I asked him if he was planning to watch any other games. After all, he had come all the way from São Paulo, so it made sense that he would try to watch a few matches. Shaking his head, he explained that he had come only for this game. He added that, to him, the opening match was always his favourite because “the World Cup doesn’t really start until Brazil plays its first game”.

It was hard for me to deny that. Since the tournament’s inception in 1930, the Selecao have been the only nation to qualify for every single edition. Their trademark jogo bonito, or beautiful game, has endeared them to fans over the years, as they have shimmied their way to five titles, the most in the history of the tournament. However, since the turn of the century, Brazil have seemingly drifted further and further away from their last triumph in 2002. Following a disappointing exit on penalties to Croatia in 2022, many have become sceptical about their ability to compete with heavyweights such as France, Spain and Argentina in the 2026 edition. But one thing was certain in everybody’s mind: the World Cup and Brazil are synonymous. Whatever the final outcome, their fans and players would inevitably bring the colour and energy that define the tournament.

As a diehard fan of the team, I was very excited at the opportunity to watch their opening match of the 2026 tournament. The excitement was also heightened by the quality of their opponents: Morocco, who have become heavyweights in their own right after becoming the first African team to reach the semi-finals in 2022 and, more recently, coming off a controversial AFCON victory. The match was also set to be the first game held at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, where the final of this year’s tournament will be held. Unlike other host cities, New Jersey was sharing responsibilities with New York, with most fans staying in the Big Apple and travelling across for the games. Even the day before the match, New York had been overflowing with fans from both nations congregating around Times Square and engaging in playful banter and pre-match celebrations.

The mood in the city was also buoyant because of the success of the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals and the virality of Knicks fervour on the internet. The Knicks were set to play Game 5 of the Finals in San Antonio right after the Brazil-Morocco match ended, and it was clear that there was a degree of mingling between fans of the two sports that contributed to the anticipation surrounding Saturday’s events.

Transportation had been a concern in the months leading up to the tournament, with people complaining about the high cost of public transport from New York to the stadium and the difficulty of walking to it. Fans had three options: taking New Jersey Transit, travelling by private car, or using a shuttle service, with the latter being the cheapest and most readily available option for fans in the city. When I made my way to my shuttle pick-up spot, the mood was already building, with the streets between Grand Central and Second Avenue filled with a sea of yellow and red.

The city had gone all out in providing buses for the service, with a mix of private operators, city buses and even a fleet of school buses being used to transport fans to MetLife. Being the only two cities sharing hosting duties in the tournament, the distance between the stadium and where most fans were staying meant that entry into the Meadowlands Complex, where MetLife is located, was staggered. Fans arrived in batches and the usual sea of supporters seen before a match was slightly smaller.

The influence of the Knicks was also evident, as both Moroccan and Brazilian fans were sporting Knicks caps, jerseys and towels along with their respective team kits. I was no exception, as I wore my Knicks hat and carried my KAT jersey in a clear bag in keeping with the stadium’s strict guidelines, which prohibited any other type of bag and even restricted flags beyond certain dimensions.

However, any apprehensions people had about the dual-host arrangement disappeared once they entered the stadium. Sitting in the 300 section, I had a bird’s-eye view of MetLife and the atmosphere was electric. While the sea of yellow dominated most of the seats, Morocco fans were not to be outdone. What they lacked in numbers, they more than made up for with the volume of their support.

I was lucky enough to be seated among a mix of fans from both nations and, after asking around for score predictions, the verdict was clear: neither set of supporters was particularly confident of a straightforward win for their side. While Morocco understandably came in as the underdogs, their fans felt their team, led by Champions League winner Achraf Hakimi, was good enough to pull off an upset.

Brazilian fans, especially younger ones, were more apprehensive about their own squad, particularly because the injury to Neymar meant that the team’s talisman would not be playing. A Brazilian fan sitting behind me voiced his frustrations about new head coach Carlo Ancelotti’s decision not to pick Chelsea striker Joao Pedro in the squad and his choice to start Brentford striker Igor Thiago ahead of the rising star Endrick.

The first 20 minutes after kick-off seemed to justify his concerns, as Morocco smothered the Brazilian midfield. For a team renowned for its movement on the ball and attacking flair, Brazil seemed devoid of creativity and spark, and Morocco took full advantage. Ismael Saibari’s 21st-minute strike silenced the sea of yellow, while shouts of “Dima Maghreb” filled MetLife, as it suddenly seemed possible that Brazil might end their 92-year unbeaten run in World Cup opening matches.

Soon after the goal, the first of the newly mandated hydration breaks was called, something that has not been particularly popular among fans. However, it seemed to work in Brazil’s favour, as it denied Morocco any momentum and helped the Brazilians regain a measure of control. They slowly built a few attacks, leading to an equaliser through Vinicius Jr.’s brilliant strike in the 32nd minute. Just like that, the stadium was once again dominated by chants of “Brazil, Olé, Olé”.

That would, however, prove to be the last goal in a game in which one team never truly got out of second gear, while the other appeared content to settle for a draw. There was visible frustration among the Brazil faithful, who blamed Ancelotti’s lacklustre substitutions and questioned the overall spirit of the team. Multiple fans cited a lack of passion, with many criticising the coach’s preference for older veterans over younger talents such as Endrick or Danilo Santos, who only came on late in the second half.

Morocco fans, meanwhile, were delighted with the result, particularly the performance of youngster Ayyoub Bouaddi, who bossed the midfield against experienced players such as Casemiro and Bruno Guimaraes.

Exiting the stadium, the mood was buoyed by the prospect of the Knicks winning a championship, with many fans from both teams switching their football kits for Knicks jerseys and shouts of “Knicks in 5” ringing through the air. It was fascinating to see how the two sports had intertwined because of the location of the match and the shared intensity of their fan bases.

While many were still disappointed by the result, it was a reminder that the World Cup is not merely about football but also about the cultural exchange that emerges from the unique intersection of countries and their citizens.

Moroccans were delighted with the performance of their players and are no doubt excited about making another deep run, as they did in Qatar in 2022. A couple of young fans outside the stadium told me they expected the team to go far in the knockout stages and, based on this performance, I find it difficult to count them out.

For Brazil, it may not have been the evening they had imagined, but hope for the hexa remains alive with Neymar Jr.’s expected return over the coming week. While doubts persist about the team’s identity under Ancelotti, one lesson remains unchanged: you can never count out the Selecao, because they have a habit of proving doubters wrong.