On Saturday, June 13, the Meadowlands hosted its first match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, marking the beginning of a long, exciting journey that the region will be going on. The match featured Brazil and Morocco, two of the sport’s best teams, with Brazil currently ranked by FIFA as the sixth best team in the world, with Morocco at seventh. The match was a close-fought battle, as expected from two talented teams, ending in a 1-1 draw.
The region’s first match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup brought out some of the biggest names, not just in the Garden State, but across the globe. In attendance were both New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill and New York Governor Kathy Hochul, as well as East Rutherford Mayor Jeffrey Lahullier and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Outside of the world of politics, there were several renowned athletes in the crowd enjoying the match.
Among those in attendance was American football legend Tom Brady, who enjoyed a different kind of football on Saturday afternoon. There were several retired soccer stars at the match, some representing Brazil, such as Ronaldo and Kaká, with others playing for completely different nations, including Zinedine Zidane and Paul Pogba, two French icons.
For non-athlete celebrities in attendance, one of the biggest names was Travis Scott, who was seen supporting Brazil. Scott, one of the most popular rappers in the world currently, is notably friends with Vinícius Júnior, the lone goalscorer for Brazil on Saturday. Scott was sporting a jersey from a recent collaboration from his own clothing line, Cactus Jack, and Nike Total 90, Nike’s line for soccer gear.
Everyone in attendance was treated to an entertaining match, which got off to a hot start thanks to a goal in the 21st minute from Morocco’s Ismael Saibari, which went over the head of the goalkeeper. Morocco appeared to be in control for a significant portion of the match’s opening minutes, though, Vinícius Júnior’s goal in the 32nd minute evened the score and halted Morocco’s momentum.
The match would remain scoreless for the duration of the game, with both teams displaying exemplary defense. The result leaves both teams in need of a win during their next group stage match to avoid facing elimination in the group stages, with neither team set to return to the Meadowlands for the group stages. Brazil will face Haiti in its next match, with Morocco taking on Brazil.