Brazil, Morocco advance to World Cup knockout stage
Brazil defeated Scotland 3-0 at Miami Stadium to finish top of Group C with seven points, while Morocco came from behind twice to beat Haiti 4-2 in Atlanta and claimed second place.
KATHMANDU: Brazil and Morocco secured their places in the FIFA World Cup 2026 knockout stage after winning their final Group C matches, while Haiti exited the tournament without a point and Scotland’s qualification hopes remain uncertain.
Brazil defeated Scotland 3-0 at Miami Stadium to finish top of Group C with seven points, while Morocco came from behind twice to beat Haiti 4-2 in Atlanta and claimed second place, also on seven points but behind Brazil on goal difference.
Scotland, who finished with three points, must now wait to see whether they qualify as one of the tournament’s best third-placed teams.
Brazil Cruise Past Scotland
Brazil produced a dominant display against Scotland, with Vinicius Junior scoring twice and Neymar making his long-awaited return to international action after nearly three years.
In front of a crowd of 64,478, Carlo Ancelotti’s side took control early and never looked threatened.
Vinicius opened the scoring in the seventh minute after Scotland defender Scott McKenna failed to clear the ball. Rayan capitalized on the mistake and found the unmarked forward, who calmly rounded goalkeeper Angus Gunn before finishing into an empty net.
The Real Madrid star thought he had doubled Brazil’s lead later in the first half after dispossessing Jack Hendry and scoring, but the goal was ruled out following a VAR review that determined a foul had been committed in the build-up.
Brazil continued to press relentlessly and eventually doubled their advantage just before halftime. Bruno Guimaraes delivered an excellent cross after winning possession high up the field, and Vinicius headed home his second goal of the match.
The South Americans extended their lead in the second half through Matheus Cunha. Guimaraes provided his second assist of the game, driving into the penalty area before setting up the striker, who scored his third goal of the tournament.
One of the biggest moments of the evening came when Neymar entered the match as a substitute. The 34-year-old received a rousing reception from the crowd as he made his first appearance for Brazil since October 2023.
Scotland struggled to create meaningful opportunities throughout the contest, while Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson preserved the clean sheet with a late save.
Vinicius has now scored in all three group-stage matches and has four goals in the tournament, level with Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland and just one behind Lionel Messi.
Morocco Fight Back to Defeat Haiti
Morocco showed remarkable resilience in Atlanta, recovering from deficits on two occasions to defeat Haiti 4-2 and secure second place in the group.
Although the victory lifted Morocco to seven points, Brazil’s 3-0 win over Scotland meant the North Africans finished behind the South Americans on goal difference.
Haiti, playing in their first World Cup since 1974, left the tournament without a point but earned praise for their spirited performances and passionate support.
The Caribbean side stunned Morocco in the 10th minute when a cross from Jean-Kevin Duverne was touched by Lenny Joseph and ultimately deflected into the net off Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou for an own goal.
Morocco responded through captain Achraf Hakimi in the 39th minute. Haiti goalkeeper Johny Placide failed to hold Bilal El Khannouss’ effort, allowing Hakimi to convert the rebound.
However, Haiti restored their lead just four minutes later. Sunderland forward Wilson Isidor unleashed a powerful strike from outside the penalty area that flew into the top corner.
Morocco again found an answer before halftime when Ismael Saibari finished calmly from Hakimi’s low cross to make it 2-2.
The 2022 World Cup semifinalists finally took the lead in the second half when Soufiane Rahimi’s powerful effort took a deflection and found the top corner.
Substitute Gessime Yassine sealed the victory after Rahimi won possession in Haiti’s defensive third and provided the assist for a simple finish into an empty net.
Morocco coach Mohammed Ouahbi had made four changes to the side that drew with Brazil and defeated Scotland, and his substitutes ultimately played a decisive role in securing the comeback victory.
Final Group C Standings
- Brazil – 7 points (Group Winners)
- Morocco – 7 points (Runners-up)
- Scotland – 3 points
- Haiti – 0 points
Brazil and Morocco advance directly to the Round of 32, while Scotland must await results from other groups to determine whether they can progress as one of the best third-placed teams.
Haiti’s World Cup campaign ends after three consecutive defeats despite scoring their first World Cup goals in 52 years.
