World Cup 2026 Day 3 Preview: Brazil Face Morocco Test While USA’s Opener Looms Large

🏆 Match Predictions

🏆 Big Match of the Day

Brazil versus Morocco at 6 p.m. ET on June 13 is the headline fixture that has everyone talking. This is no ordinary group stage opener — this is a genuine World Cup preview clash between Carlo Ancelotti’s Brazil aiming to win their first World Cup since 2002 and Morocco arriving unbeaten in 29 games with the second-best defense in the world. Remember 2022? The Atlas Lions stunned Portugal and Spain on their way to the semifinals, and now they’re ready to prove that run wasn’t a fluke.

The storyline that has Brazilian fans genuinely nervous? Neymar is still recovering from a grade two calf injury and is not expected to be ready for Saturday’s game. That’s Brazil’s all-time leading scorer potentially missing their opener. Ancelotti is leaning into Brazil’s attacking wealth, naming nine forwards to his squad and featuring a top-heavy 4-2-4 formation, but losing Neymar shifts everything. This forces the likes of Vinicius Junior and Raphinha to carry even more creative burden against what Brazil’s attack is expected to face — a defense considered one of the most solid in the tournament.

Morocco comes into this with their own drama. Coach Walid Regragui resigned less than 100 days before the World Cup and former Under-23s coach Mohamed Ouahbi has since taken the reins. That’s a massive shift in leadership right before the biggest tournament on earth. But here’s the thing — Ouahbi has steered them to three wins and two draws across his five matches since taking over. They’re not coming in cold.

This match matters beyond the three points. Group C consists of Brazil, Morocco, Haiti, and Scotland, with the top two teams, possibly along with the third-placed team, advancing to the round of 32. Neither team can afford a slip-up with Scotland lurking as a legitimate threat. The pressure is real, the stakes are massive, and MetLife Stadium in New Jersey is about to witness something special.

⚽ Players to Watch

🔥 Fan Anticipation Check

🚨 Key Issues to Watch

📊 Complete June 13-14 World Cup Predictions Breakdown

Looking at today’s other fixtures beyond the marquee matchups, Qatar takes on Switzerland in Group B at 3 p.m. ET on June 13, and that 6% home win probability tells you everything. Switzerland should control this one comfortably. Then tomorrow brings us Haiti versus Scotland at 9 p.m. ET on June 13, followed by Australia versus Turkey at 12 a.m. ET on June 14 in Group D action.

Germany faces Curacao at 1 p.m. ET on June 14, with Netherlands taking on Japan at 4 p.m. ET. That Germany-Curacao matchup? It’s got 93% home win probability for a reason — expect a demolition. The Netherlands-Japan clash is far more intriguing, with both sides possessing genuine quality despite Japan missing arguably their best attacker in Brighton’s Kaoru Mitoma, who tore his hamstring late in the Premier League season, and fellow forward Takumi Minamino being out with a torn ACL.

US head coach Mauricio Pochettino has no injury concerns or doubts heading into their opener, which is massive considering center back Chris Richards, who suffered an ankle injury last month, said he was ready to play after missing the friendlies. Meanwhile, Paraguay’s key player Julio Enciso was seen in tears when he was taken off the field on a stretcher in the first half of their final warm-up game on June 6, leaving them without their most creative midfielder.

The Group C dynamic is absolutely brutal. Brazil, Haiti, Morocco, and Scotland — and only two are guaranteed to advance, with maybe a third-place lifeline. Scotland can absolutely cause problems for both Brazil and Morocco, which makes every point in this group crucial. One slip-up and you’re staring at an early exit.

For the home nations, the pressure is suffocating. For the first time in more than three decades, the United States will play a football World Cup on home soil — with tens of thousands of fans cheering from the stands and millions watching at home, the pressure is on the US to live up to expectations. There’s a lot of noise around the team with the burden of being a host nation coupled with recent results — their only 3-2 victory came against Senegal last week. That defensive fragility against Paraguay’s counter-attacking threat is genuinely concerning.

Paraguay aren’t just showing up for the experience either. Gustavo Alfaro took charge as manager in 2024 and has guided Paraguay to a dream-return to the World Cup by reverting the national team to its traditional style. They’re organized, they’re physical, and they know how to frustrate opponents. The win probability data gives the US a 46% chance versus Paraguay’s 24%, but those recent American defensive performances make this far from a sure thing.

Brazil’s situation is fascinating from a tactical perspective. It’s a weight that hangs heavy on every Brazilian player at a World Cup — the demands of their nation to add to the five stars on their jersey, but perhaps it is best if the world’s most unruffled coach, Ancelotti, is in charge. He’s won everything multiple times over, and that experience managing pressure could be exactly what Brazil needs. But fielding a 4-2-4 without Neymar against Morocco’s defensive structure? That’s genuinely risky.

These World Cup predictions aren’t just about analyzing form and squad depth — it’s about understanding momentum, pressure, and which teams can handle the weight of expectations. The expanded 48-team format means more chaos, more upsets, and more opportunities for the underdogs to shock the giants. Day 3 of this World Cup is where the real drama begins.