2026 World Cup: Excitement builds in New York before the Brazil-Morocco match

The 2026 FIFA World Cup, the largest ever with 48 teams, kicked off on North American soil for the first time, co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada. After the kick-off marked by Mexico's 2-0 victory against South Africa, excitement continues to grow across the host cities.

On June 13, New York vibrated to the rhythm of Brazilian supporters gathered en masse in Times Square. Fans of the five-time world champions celebrated fervently before the start of the group stage, hoping to repeat the triunfo of 1994, the last Cup won by Brazil on American soil. The dream of a sixth star is big, especially since this victory would mark the end of a long wait since 2002. But the opponent of the day, Morocco, is far from being a simple extra, with its remarkable run until the semi-finals in 2022. The atmosphere was also boosted by the presence of the French rapper Montana, who came to ignite the New York square alongside the supporters of the Atlas Lions.

For their part, in preparation for their opening match against Haiti, Scottish fans took over Boston with their famous “Tartan Army”. The party was in full swing at the city's harbor with a party boat, and even a local policeman got in on some impressive ball juggling.

On June 12, on the sporting side, Turkish captain Hakan Calhanoglu, back in the World Cup after 2002, showed great confidence in his team before their match against Australia. “I think we will dominate,” he said, highlighting the quality and talent of his players. Australia, well experienced with six consecutive participations, responded with serenity, ready to take up the challenge.

Image

In terms of star players, Neymar Jr will not be traveling for Brazil's opening match against Morocco, due to a calf injury. Coach Carlo Ancelotti nevertheless reassured that the player is working hard to return quickly to the group.

Football fans were also treated to a luxury appearance in Los Angeles, where legends Zlatan Ibrahimović and Thierry Henry caused a stir by meeting fans, including in the company of social media star iShowSpeed.

In the United States, the approximately 70,000 spectators at the stadium also followed the training of the American team, in the company of host James Corden, who came to watch and even help with the stretching of player Christian Pulisic.

Finally, the Democratic Congo team, nicknamed the Leopards, made a remarkable entrance in Houston by wearing black outfits inspired by the jaguar, symbolizing the strength and character of the selection before its match against Portugal.

The rivalry between Canada and the United States also promises to be intense, with Canadian coach Jesse Marsch teasing his American neighbors about their lack of enthusiasm for singing the national anthem, giving a taste of the competition to come in this very tough group.