EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – It was billed as the pick for the 2026 World Cup group stage match – and it pretty much lived up to the hype.
Brazil and Morocco faced off on Saturday in front of more than 80,000 enthusiastic fans, with two spectacular first-half goals leading to a frenetic end to the match that electrified New York’s New Jersey Stadium.
But the 1-1 tie was only the first half of a historic night for sports in the bi-state area.
When the referee’s full-time whistle sounded inside the stadium, local fans rushed to make sure they didn’t miss Game 5 of the NBA Finals. In this game, the New York Knicks won a dramatic late victory over the San Antonio Spurs, winning their first championship since 1973.
Thousands of Brazilian fans, a few Moroccan supporters and tens of thousands of New Yorkers mingled as sports came to the forefront in both states.
Earlier, nearly four hours before kickoff, the first groups of football fans began arriving at New Jersey’s Secaucus Station for the final journey to the stadium in East Rutherford.
Supporters, who had been widely criticized for their expensive $98 round-trip fare to the stadium from New York or New Jersey, rushed through the station as tournament volunteers, security guards and onlookers looked on in amusement.
Outside the venue, fans set out a festive atmosphere with drums, tambourines, and their best singing voices.
The Brazilians danced their way from the station exit to the stadium entry point, often stopping along the way to take photos or join in the chorus with the Moroccan players.
Brazil’s supporters walked in with an air of confidence, fully expecting the record five-time world champions to make a winning start to the tournament.
“We are not worried about the team’s chances. We know they will win,” Ricardo, a Brazil fan who goes by only one name, told Al Jazeera.
However, some Moroccans were a little unsure whether they would be able to achieve a great result against the South American powerhouse.
“I know that many fans are expecting us to reach the finals after the team’s performance in 2022, but I think this team is weak,” Tarek Bouiber said, scratching his head, referring to Morocco’s performance in Qatar four years ago, when they became the first African and Arab team to reach the World Cup semi-finals.
As Saturday’s kickoff inched closer, the party moved inside the stadium and the noise level increased dramatically.
The 82,000-seater stadium turned into a sea of yellow, with red thrown in as Carlo Ancelotti’s Brazil enjoyed the partisan support of its loyal and occasionally visiting fans.
With the sound of drums in the background, relentless singing and chanting in Portuguese drowned out all other sounds.
However, it was Morocco who controlled play on the pitch and were rewarded with possession, with Ismail Saibari taking the lead with a beautiful scoop shot in the 21st minute.
The goal sent the red part of the stadium into a frenzy and chants of “Viva Maghreb” filled the air.
In an effort to force their team into an even goal, the Brazilians increased the volume and intensity of their singing, encouraging their players with chants of “Ole, Ole, Ole.”
It took just 11 minutes for star forward Vinicius Junior to find space inside Morocco’s box and flick the ball into the top right corner to pull the score to 1-1.
Both teams fought for possession but failed to create many chances to score until stoppage time in the second half, and Morocco missed an easy chance for a shock victory.
Brazilian fans seemed to be the more disappointed of both sides when the match ended in a draw, but Moroccan supporters claimed this was another sign that their team could go all the way.
Sana Vlada, who visited the stadium with her family from Washington, D.C., said after the match, “I want to play a better game than last time and advance to the final.”
Still, both supporters left with smiles on their faces.
Some of them crossed the Hudson River for the first World Cup game between Brazil and Morocco, and joined each other to prepare for the basketball finals.
Chants of “Let’s Gonix” became common as fans rushed to watch what was the winning game of the best-of-seven series.
Nearly three hours later, the Knicks’ 94-90 victory was greeted with more singing, dancing and fireworks that echoed across both states.
