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The captain of the Moroccan national team, Ashraf Hakimi, made passionate statements before the expected confrontation against Brazil in the third group of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, stressing that the “Atlas Lions” are ready to challenge the “Seleção” and achieve a positive result in the opening.
“We are the Brazil of Africa and everyone knows it. I think everyone knows the Brazil team and the level of their players, but we are ready to face them.”
“We are focused on doing our best and achieving the best results. Personally, I am focused on preparing for tomorrow’s match. Our goal is to make the Moroccan fans happy and have a great performance at the World Cup.”
Hakimi said about the confrontation of Brazilian star Vinicius Junior. “We all know the quality of Vinicius. I’ve played against him a few times. To defend against him or any other player, we have to defend as a team. We have prepared for all this, the team is ready and I feel ready.”
The captain of the Moroccan national team refused to talk about the candidates to win the tournament, stressing. “There is no contender to win the big tournament. The competition will be equal. Brazil has special players, so do we. It’s going to be a personal match and the little details will make the difference.”
Hakimi said about the relationship with his partner in Paris Saint-Germain, the Brazilian defender Marquinhos. “I haven’t talked to him much in the last few days. We are both focused on our national team. It is true that we cooperate well in Paris, but on the pitch we both want to win. Let the best team win.”
Hakimi concluded his remarks by praising Brazilian star Neymar, saying: “I enjoy playing against the best and Neymar is one of them. I know this could be his last World Cup and I really hope he will be on the pitch to face us.”
Morocco’s clash with Brazil is one of the most prominent matches of the opening round as the two teams are in Group Three along with Haiti and Scotland in what is expected to be a battle for two places to qualify for the second round.
