Group C

You want the context? Morocco eliminated Brazil in the quarter-finals at the 2022 World Cup. Brazil, five-time world champions, favourites heading into that game, went out on penalties. The Atlas Lions became the first African nation ever to reach the semi-finals. They are both in this group. They play on the opening day of Group C. It is the match of the first round.

Brazil: The Weight of Five Stars

Brazil have not won a World Cup since 2002. That is the longest barren run the Seleção have endured since the 1960s. Every tournament since has come with the same narrative arc: outstanding players, enormous expectation, defeat somewhere cruel. They are always candidates. They never win it. This squad is talented — deep in every position, technically excellent — but Brazilian football has been wrestling with whether that talent can be converted into a coherent system. Their opener at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey will be a statement of intent or the beginning of another painful elimination.

Morocco: Picking Up Where They Left Off

What Morocco achieved in 2022 was historic and not accidental. Walid Regragui’s team was organised, mentally resilient, and played with genuine tactical intelligence. They have the spine of that squad still, and they arrive with four years of continued development. They are not the surprise package this time — they are expected to be competitive. That changes how teams approach them, which is a different kind of test. They can handle it.

The kickoff angle: Brazil vs Morocco on June 13th at 6pm Eastern. Fans in Casablanca are watching at midnight. Fans in Rio watch at midnight on the other side of the Atlantic. The Brazilian diaspora in New York and New Jersey will make MetLife extraordinary.

Scotland: Finally Back

Scotland have not been to a World Cup since France 1998. A generation of Scottish football fans has grown up without this. Andy Robertson’s era of Scottish football finally got them back into major tournaments through Euro qualification — now they have the big one. Scotland will arrive not as victims but as a team with Premier League quality throughout. They are underdogs in this group. They have been underdogs before.

Scotland vs Brazil on June 24th in Miami is a game worth circling: it could mean everything or nothing depending on what comes before it.

Haiti: The Debut

Haiti making a World Cup would be genuinely remarkable. They qualified through CONCACAF, which is an increasingly competitive region. They will not fancy their chances against Brazil or Morocco, but stranger things have happened, and for the Haitian diaspora in Miami and across the Eastern Seaboard, this is a moment.

Must-watch match: Brazil vs Morocco, June 13th, MetLife Stadium. Two 2022 semi-finalists, one match to start the group. No question.

Bold prediction: Brazil top the group after some anxious moments. Morocco advance as a well-organized second place. Scotland make it uncomfortable but go home. Haiti take everyone’s sympathy and not much else.