World Cup 2026: I wasn’t at my best against Morocco – Brazil star Vinícius Júnior

Brazil forward Vinícius Júnior has admitted he was not satisfied with his individual performance despite scoring in the sides’ 1-1 draw against Morocco.

The Real Madrid winger struck a brilliant equaliser to cancel out Ismail Saibari’s opener for the Atlas Lions in a tightly contested 2026 World Cup Group C encounter at MetLife Stadium on Saturday. However, despite being named Man of the Match, the 26-year-old said he expects more from himself.

“I can perform much better. I scored a goal, but I wasn’t at my best, and I can still improve technically,” he said.

Vinícius also pointed to difficult playing conditions as a key factor behind Brazil’s inability to secure all three points, citing both the heat and the pitch conditions as major challenges for his side’s rhythm.

“There’s the heat, and the pitch dries very quickly,” he explained. “It’s difficult to play in these conditions. We can’t maintain the rhythm we want, and that doesn’t help us because we try to circulate the ball and move it across different areas of the pitch.”

The Brazilian star also praised Morocco, describing them as one of the strongest and most organised teams in international football at present, while stressing the need for Brazil to adapt quickly as the tournament progresses.

“We have to adapt because I think the situation will be similar throughout the World Cup. We will improve our performance and achieve victories in the upcoming matches,” he added.

Despite dropping points in their opening fixture, Brazil will now shift focus to their next Group C match as they look to build momentum and strengthen their position in the tournament.