The time has come. This Saturday (13), starting at 7pm (Brasília time), the Brazilian team begins its journey in search of the sixth World Cup title. The first challenge is against Morocco, at the MetLife Stadium, in New Jersey, in the duel that opens Group C, all of which is concentrated in the United States and also brings together Scotland and Haiti. Related news: Surprises in the final stretch of the cycle are in the history of Brazil in World Cups. Ancelotti highlights set pieces and ensures Brazil is competitive in the World Cup. Brazil defends a respectable unbeaten record in debuts. The last defeat in a first World Cup game was in 1934, in Italy, to Spain, 3-1, at the Luigi Ferraris Stadium, in Genoa. Since then, there have been 17 wins and three draws. At the last World Cup, in Qatar, the green and yellow team beat Serbia 2-0 at the Lusail Stadium, with two goals from striker Richarlison. The opponent now, however, is one of the most complicated that Brazil has ever faced in the first round. The Moroccan team, semi-finalist in the World Cup in Qatar, is seventh in the International Football Federation (Fifa) ranking, just one position behind the Brazilian team itself. Furthermore, in the last match, the Lions of the Atlas (the African team's nickname) came out on top and won 2-1, at the Ibn Batouta Stadium, in Tangier (Morocco). Striker Sofiane Boufal and midfielder Abdelhamid Sabiri scored for the home team, while midfielder Casemiro scored the Brazilian goal in the match, held on March 25, 2023. Tumultuous cycle That was also the game that opened one of the most tumultuous World Cup cycles that the Brazilian team has ever gone through. The coach of that friendly — and two others that took place in June of the same year — was Ramon Menezes, who managed Brazil's under-20s. Since then, expecting the arrival of Carlo Ancelotti in mid-2024, the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) chose Fernando Diniz, who had just been champion of the Libertadores with Fluminense, to manage the green and yellow team until the Italian was contractually released by Real Madrid (Spain). It would be a kind of "interim". The coach, however, only lasted six games. The sequence of three consecutive defeats in the World Cup qualifiers and Ancelotti's renewal for another season with Real Madrid led the CBF to fire Diniz and go after Dorival Júnior, then Brazilian Cup champion with São Paulo in 2023. The idea is that he would be the definitive coach for 2026. Dorival's work at the helm of Amarelinha, however, was also short. Hired in January 2024, he was fired in March of the following year, after the 4-1 defeat suffered by Argentina, away from home, in the qualifiers, at the Monumental, in Buenos Aires. Carlo Ancelotti regained strength in the CBF after Real Madrid's bad season and ended up being confirmed as Brazil's coach on May 26, 2025. The person who announced the hiring of the Italian was Ednaldo Rodrigues. The person who received him upon arrival in the country, however, was another president: Samir Xaud, who took over after Ednaldo's removal from office — the second in six months — and a lot of confusion behind the entity's electoral backstage. With Ancelotti, Brazil concluded its already tumultuous qualifying campaign by qualifying for the World Cup, albeit in fifth place (among ten teams), the worst campaign in the history of the Brazilian team. Hired at the last minute, the Italian had his contract renewed until the 2030 World Cup. Questions about the lineup From the team that lost to Morocco in 2023, seven players were called up by Ancelotti for the World Cup: goalkeepers Weverton and Ederson, defenders Ibañez and Bremer; Casemiro, midfielder Lucas Paquetá and striker Vinícius Júnior. Names like defender Eder Militão and striker Rodrygo, who the Italian was counting on for the World Cup and who were injured, were also part of that group. The expectation is that at least Casemiro, Lucas Paquetá and Vinícius Júnior will start playing this Saturday. Ibañez, despite being a defender, is an option for the right flank and competes for position with Danilo after Wesley was cut, injured. Ownership on both sides of the defense, in fact, is the biggest doubt in the lineup. On the left, the fight is between Alex Sandro and Douglas Santos. In the 15 minutes a day in which he allowed the press to follow the activities at the Columbia Park Training Center (CT), in Morristown, Ancelotti gave no clues about the choices. A likely Brazil lineup for their World Cup debut: Alisson; Danilo (Ibañez), Marquinhos, Gabriel Magalhães and Alex Sandro (Douglas Santos); Casemiro, Bruno Guimarães and Lucas Paquetá; Raphinha, Matheus Cunha and Vinícius Júnior. Atlas Lions on the rise On the Moroccan side, the team has six players who were on the field in the 2023 victory: goalkeeper Yassine Bono, full-backs Achraf Hakimi and Noussair Mazraoui, midfielder Sofyan Amrabat and midfielders Azzedine Ounahi and Bilal El Khannouss. There were originally eight, but defender Nayef Aguerd and striker Abde Ezzalzouli were cut due to injury. The coach also changed from there to here. Commander in the historic semi-finalist campaign in Qatar, Walid Regragui left his position in March this year, two months after the controversial final of the African Cup of Nations. On that occasion, Morocco, the home team, lost on the field to Senegal, but was recognized as champion after appealing to the continent's confederation alleging "abandonment of the field" by the Senegalese team with the awarding of a penalty in favor of the Atlas Lions - which ended up wasted. The new coach, Mohamed Ouahbi, made history for the country in 2025, leading Morocco to an unprecedented under-20 world title in Chile, beating Argentina in the final, showing that the country will continue to give football powerhouses a hard time in the coming years. Winger Gessime Yassine, from Strasbourg (France), was part of that campaign and is among those called up for the World Cup. But the greatest hope for the Atlas Lions to shine is an acquaintance of Vinícius Júnior and Ancelotti. Striker Brahim Díaz plays for Real Madrid, was born in Spain and represented the European country's youth teams until 2024, when he chose the flag of his father's homeland. In 26 games for the Moroccan team, he has already scored 14 times. Ouahbi should send the Morocco team to the field with: Bono; Hakimi, Chadi Riad, Issa Diop and Mazraoui; Ayyoub Bouaddi, Neil El Aynaoui and Ounahi; Brahim Díaz, Ismael Saibari and El Khannouss.