Brazilian team has a great record in opening World Cup games The Brazilian team's history of World Cup debuts gives us reason to be confident. There is a visible positivity in the environment, in their behavior, in their good mood, in the way they relate to each other. "Right now, everyone is happy, happy. Then we'll see after the first game. The faces of the players who don't play and all that", says Carlo Ancelotti, coach of the Brazilian team. 📱Bookmark g1 on Google and follow the main news of the day It doesn't even feel like they are four days away from one of the most tense games for any team at a World Cup: the first. Morocco is one of the strongest teams in Africa - third place in the last World Cup. Nothing indicates a smooth departure. "I think it's a very good team. It's one of the best generations of them. Great players. We know that for us it's a key game, starting well, starting on the right foot, because on the other side there's a great team", says Bruno Guimarães, the Seleção's midfielder. Brazil's history in World Cup debuts is impressive; last defeat was almost 100 years ago National Newspaper/ Reproduction Players always talk about this difficulty in the first game, but Brazil's record in World Cup debuts is impressive. There are 17 wins, three draws and just two defeats. The last one was almost 100 years ago. The team only lost in the first two editions: in 1930 and 1934. There are twenty Cups in a row without major problems at the beginning. And, in the last eleven, an even better record: ten wins and just one draw, in 2018, against Switzerland. "We know that the first game defines a lot of things in the group stage. We are going to have this week with a lot of focus, training, care too, so that we can make a good debut against Morocco and begin our journey towards the long-awaited title", says Rodrigo Caetano, coordinator of the National Team. To maintain such a long unbeaten run, a lot of work and a little bit of mystery. "We've been working hard during the week, doing our best on the field to get as ready as possible for this debut game. That's the most I can tell you, because if I do more than that, it'll be bad for me later," says Ibañez, the Seleção's defender. Comments Paulo Nunes and Renata Vasconcellos in New York, United States National Newspaper/ Reproduction Renata Vasconcellos: Paulo Nunes, you were a professional player. He knows exactly what goes through his head moments before the premiere. How does a player deal with anxiety before making his debut in a World Cup? Paulo Nunes, commentator: Everyone has a different way of dealing with this anxiety, trying to alleviate this problem. There are players who like to stay quiet, in their corner, without talking to anyone. There are others who like to pray, almost meditating, in group prayers. There are others - and I put myself in this question - who like the noise, the music, they like to dance so you can get into the game with your adrenaline pumping. Renata Vasconcellos: Doesn’t it distract you? Paulo Nunes: On the contrary. You are already too motivated to enter the fully packed stadium. Renata Vasconcellos: What is the role of veterans at this time? Paulo Nunes: You know that veterans sometimes feel it too. Some more, others less. But the veteran's issue is to take care of the newcomers. But there are beginners who don't feel anything either. I'll give you an example: Endrick. Endrick, every time he entered a Brazilian team game, didn't feel the weight of his shirt. It seemed like he was used to the game. GloboPop: click to see videos from the Jornal Nacional stage READ ALSO Home of Jornal Nacional at the World Cup is in the heart of Manhattan Island, in New York Discover Globo’s latest coverage of the 2026 World Cup Special series on the essence of Brazilian football highlights the talent of our players JN series on the virtues of the only five-time champion team in the world highlights the race of the Brazilian player Last chapter of JN's special series exalts the creativity of Brazilian players Carlo Ancelotti's path to the Brazilian national team is full of achievements; get to know