Brazil and Morocco secured places in the knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after recording victories in their final Group C matches on Thursday.
Brazil finished as group winners following a convincing 3-0 win over Scotland, while Morocco claimed second place with a hard-fought 4-2 victory over Haiti.
The five-time world champions produced a dominant display against Scotland, with Vinicius Junior scoring twice in the first half before Matheus Cunha added a third goal after the break.
Brazil’s victory was made even more special by the return of Neymar, who made his first appearance for the national team since October 2023. The veteran forward came on as a substitute for Cunha in the second half, marking a significant milestone in his recovery.
Morocco, meanwhile, had to come from behind twice to defeat Haiti in an entertaining six-goal encounter. Bafana Bafana of South Africa have also qualified for the Round of 32 after a 1-0 win against South Korea, thanks to Thapelo Maseko’s goal in the 63rd minute as they finished second in Group A.
The Haitians took an early lead through an own goal by goalkeeper Yassine Bounou in the 10th minute. Achraf Hakimi restored parity for Morocco in the 39th minute, but Haiti regained the lead four minutes later through Wilson Isidor.
Morocco responded again before halftime, with Ismael Saibari scoring for the third consecutive World Cup match to make it 2-2.
The Atlas Lions completed the comeback in the second half as Soufiane Rahimi put them ahead for the first time in the 78th minute before Gessime Yassine sealed the victory with a late goal in the 89th minute.
The results saw Brazil top Group C with seven points, while Morocco also finished on seven points but settled for second place on goal difference.
Scotland ended the group stage with three points and must now wait to discover whether they can progress as one of the best third-placed teams. Haiti finished bottom of the group without a point and were eliminated from the tournament.
