Noussair Mazraoui starts for Morocco against Brazil in World Cup match

Manchester United defender Noussair Mazraoui has been named in Morocco’s starting lineup for their 2026 FIFA World Cup Group C opener against Brazil on June 13 at MetLife Stadium. The confirmation ends days of speculation about his fitness after a shoulder injury sustained during a pre-tournament friendly.

Mazraoui went down in the 28th minute of Morocco’s warm-up match against Norway around June 8, sparking immediate concern about his availability for the tournament’s opening fixtures. His return to the starting XI represents a significant boost for the Atlas Lions as they face one of the tournament’s toughest group-stage opponents.

The road back from injury

The recovery timeline was tight but ultimately successful. Mazraoui underwent a gym-based rehabilitation program before rejoining full team training between June 11 and 12, just one to two days before the Brazil match.

Why Mazraoui matters to Morocco

Since earning his first cap in 2018, Mazraoui has accumulated over 45 appearances for the national team. He was a core member of the squad that reached the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, a run that made Morocco the first African nation to advance that far in the tournament’s history.

Morocco followed it up by winning the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, cementing their status as a genuine force in international football. Mazraoui was part of both squads, and his versatility in defense has been a consistent feature of Morocco’s tactical setup.

He was named to Morocco’s 2026 World Cup squad on May 26, 2026, well before the injury scare complicated matters.

Group C and what’s at stake

MetLife Stadium in New Jersey provides the backdrop, one of the marquee venues for the 2026 tournament being co-hosted across North America.

The fact that he made it back from a shoulder injury sustained just five days before kickoff tells you something about both the player’s determination and the medical team’s work behind the scenes.

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