Group C · Matchday 1
BrazilvsMorocco
2026-06-13·18:00 localPredictions finalised
The forecast
Match-outcome probability
- Brazil win50.1%
- Draw30.2%
- Morocco win19.7%
A clash of identities: Brazil's high-press approach meets Morocco's counter-attacker style in a fixture the model gives to Brazil at 53%.
Why the model says this
Favoring Brazil
- ·Brazil holds a significant Elo advantage of 162 points over Morocco.
- ·Brazil is ranked 5th in FIFA rankings, six places higher than Morocco at 11th.
- ·Brazil's expected goals (xG) of 1.26 is significantly higher than Morocco's 0.71, indicating more attacking threat.
- ·In three head-to-head encounters, Brazil has won two matches to Morocco's one.
Favoring Morocco
- ·Morocco won the most recent head-to-head fixture against Brazil, a 2-1 victory in March 2023.
- ·Morocco is undefeated in their last six matches, securing 4 wins and 2 draws.
- ·The ensemble model's 22.3% win probability for Morocco is higher than the 17.2% predicted by the Elo model, suggesting other components see more potential for an upset.
What the model can't fully price
- ·Four players across both squads are carrying fitness doubts, with three identified as projected starters, a factor not fully integrated into the model's current probability calculation.
Form check
Brazil
SteadyBrazil's recent form is inconsistent, with three wins, one draw, and two losses in their last six matches. While capable of high-scoring victories, they have also conceded multiple goals in their defeats.
3 wins, 1 draw, 2 losses in last 6 matches
Morocco
ImprovingMorocco enters this fixture in strong form, having remained undefeated in their last six outings with four wins and two draws. This run includes a successful African Cup of Nations campaign where they secured three wins and one draw.
Undefeated in last 6 matches (4 wins, 2 draws)
Analysis
How it plays out
Brazil's high press game meets Morocco's counter attacker shape. Morocco will concede territory deliberately and look to hit the spaces Brazil's high line leaves behind. Brazil's aggressive press (PPDA 17.1) against Morocco's deeper build-up (PPDA 22.2) creates a clear territory question: can Brazil force errors high up, or will Morocco play through the press and find space behind it?
What decides it
Brazil press high (PPDA 17.1). If the press doesn't win the ball early, the space behind their back line becomes exposed. Morocco will concede possession willingly and attack in transition. Their defensive block needs to hold without fouling in dangerous areas. Raphinha carries the marginally higher scoring probability (11.9% vs 6.1%).
Off the pitch
No major off-pitch asymmetries. This one is decided by the football.
The angle
A Group C fixture where the result matters more for the standings than the headlines.
▸Goals & scorelines
Likeliest score 1–0 (18.2%) · xG 1.1 - 0.7
Expected goals
Mean of the Dixon-Coles joint goal distribution. Same fit that produces the most-likely-scoreline list below.
Most likely scorelines
- 1–018.2%
- 0–017.3%
- 1–113.1%
- 2–010.9%
- 0–110.0%
From the Dixon-Coles joint Poisson with the low-score correction. Scorelines are listed in probability order; this is a description of the model's distribution, not a recommendation.
Most likely half-time scorelines
- 0–041.1%
- 1–022.9%
- 0–112.8%
- 1–18.1%
- 2–06.7%
Same Dixon-Coles fit as the full-time list above, with rates halved to a 45-minute window and the low-score correction applied to that 1st-half block. The 0-0 row sits higher here than at full-time because fewer minutes have elapsed.
Goal totals
- More than 0.5 goals82.7%
- More than 1.5 goals54.5%
- More than 2.5 goals27.0%
- More than 3.5 goals10.9%
- More than 4.5 goals3.6%
- More than 5.5 goals1.0%
- Both teams score33.5%
Each row is the probability the match finishes with more than the listed number of goals. Both-teams-to-score is the probability each side scores at least once. All values are marginals of the Dixon-Coles joint goal grid that produces the scoreline list above — not market lines or any other operator construct.
Event-typed probabilities
- Brazil clean sheetOpposing team scores zero52.0%
- Morocco clean sheetOpposing team scores zero31.7%
Derived from the same Dixon-Coles joint distribution as the scoreline list. These are descriptive event probabilities — see CLAUDE.md §3/§4 (formerly COMPLIANCE.md §4.2.7) for the framing the project uses.
Win-margin probability
- Brazil by 4+1.8%
- Brazil by 3+6.8%
- Brazil by 2+20.6%
- Brazil by 1+46.9%
- Draw32.9%
- Morocco by 1+20.2%
- Morocco by 2+5.6%
- Morocco by 3+1.1%
- Morocco by 4+0.2%
Each row is the probability the match ends with the listed margin or larger in that direction. Marginal of the Dixon-Coles joint goal grid; the “by 1+” rows plus the draw row sum to 1.
▸How the match unfolds
Over 2.5 goals 27.0% · BTTS 33.5%
Game state through the match
- Brazil ahead47.7%
- Level31.4%
- Morocco ahead20.9%
Probability of each game state at minutes 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, 90 — derived from two independent thinned-Poisson processes with the Dixon-Coles per-team rates. The three lines always sum to 1 at each minute. The right column shows the state at the match's closing minute.
When the first goal arrives
- 0–1525.9%
- 15–3019.2%
- 30–4514.2%
- 45–6010.5%
- 60–757.8%
- 75–905.8%
- No goal16.5%
Probability the match's first goal arrives in each 15-minute window. Homogeneous Poisson with combined rate λ = λh + λa from the Dixon-Coles fit; the seven rows (six windows + no-goal tail) sum to 1.
Half-time / full-time grid
| HT ↓ / FT → | HBrazil win | DDraw | AMorocco win |
|---|---|---|---|
| HBrazil ahead | 29.3% | 3.8% | 0.7% |
| DLevel | 17.0% | 24.1% | 8.5% |
| AMorocco ahead | 1.3% | 3.8% | 11.6% |
Each cell is P(half-time result, full-time result). All nine cells sum to 1. Derived from a halved-λ Dixon-Coles fit for the first half plus an independent-Poisson second-half convolution.
Comeback probability
- Brazil trail at HT, avoid defeat at FT5.0%
- Morocco trail at HT, avoid defeat at FT4.5%
Joint probability — P(side trailing at half-time AND avoiding defeat at full-time). NOT conditional on trailing at HT. Derived from the same half-time / full-time decomposition that produces the HT/FT grid above; a tied first half is neither a home nor an away comeback opportunity.
Cards
- Expected yellow cardsMean of the Poisson on total yellow cards.3.45
- Total yellows over 2.567.0%
- Total yellows over 3.545.3%
- Total yellows over 4.526.5%
- Any red cardP(at least one red card in the match).9.5%
Referee not yet assigned. Using the 2026 pool-mean per-match rate as a placeholder; the model picks up the referee's personal rate once the assignment is published. Total yellow cards modelled as a Poisson with mean equal to two team baselines plus the referee's deviation from the pool mean. Reds are modelled the same way, independently. See /docs/methodology/.
▸Teams & players
Top scorer: Raphinha (11.9%)
Match detail
Brazil
Model-rated key players: Raphinha (FW) — P(scores) 11.9%; Gabriel Jesus (FW) — P(scores) 4.7%; Neymar (FW) — P(scores) 3.4%.
Brazil under Carlo Ancelotti play a high press game, holding 58% of the ball — among the highest in the tournament field. Their likely shape is a 4-2-3-1, though they have also used 4-3-3. They apply moderate pressing intensity (PPDA 17.1) and build patiently through midfield with 7.2 passes per attacking sequence. They generate a high volume of shots (16.5 per 90).
Brazil need their high press to force turnovers in dangerous areas — if opponents can play through the press, the space left behind is vulnerable. Physical conditioning and squad rotation will be critical to sustain pressing intensity across a long tournament.
Morocco
Model-rated key players: Sofyan Amrabat (MF) — P(scores) 6.1%; Youssef En-Nesyri (FW) — P(scores) 2.6%; Ayoub El Kaabi (FW) — P(scores) 1.9%.
Morocco under Mohamed Ouahbi play a counter attacker game with 46% possession. Their likely shape is a 4-3-3, though they have also used other. They apply moderate pressing intensity (PPDA 22.2).
Morocco rely on defensive discipline and quick transitions — absorbing pressure and converting turnovers into attacking chances. Concentration and defensive organisation for full 90-minute stretches will determine whether the approach holds against top opposition. With Mohamed Ouahbi appointed relatively recently (161 days before kickoff), building tactical cohesion in limited preparation time is the immediate challenge.
Brazil's predicted XI averages 1,628 club minutes over the 2024-25 season (light load).
Brazil coverage: 67.0% (10/11 XI matched against the FBref Big-5) · Morocco: 32.0% (7/11).
Brazil historically converts 10.8% of xG from set-pieces, contributing 0.13 expected set-piece goals in this fixture. Morocco converts 11.8% from set-pieces (0.08 expected). Combined, the model expects 0.20 set-piece goals across the 90 minutes.
- P(Brazil scores set-piece goal) 11.8%
- P(Morocco scores set-piece goal) 7.4%
- P(set-piece goal in match) 18.3%
Brazil: Matheus Pereira on corners (84 corners) (per fbref 2020 21) · Morocco: Mounir Chouiar on corners (26 corners), Sofyan Amrabat on free kicks (per fbref 2020 21)
If a penalty is awarded to Brazil, the model gives 72.0% conversion, 74.3% for Morocco.
Brazil primary PK: Raphinha (4/4 in 2021-22, per fbref 2020 21) · Morocco primary PK: Sofyan Amrabat (1/1 in 2019-20, per fbref 2020 21).
Derived from the model's per-fixture forecast joint and supporting reference data (predicted squads, set-piece xG share, PK posteriors, club minutes). See /docs/methodology/ for the full methodology.
Tactical forecast
- PPDA
- 17.1
- Possession
- 58%
- Directness (yds/pass)
- 4.8
- Long balls/90
- 23
- Set-piece xG
- 11%
- PPDA
- 22.2
- Possession
- 46%
- Directness (yds/pass)
- 6.6
- Long balls/90
- 34
- Set-piece xG
- 12%
Style profile per side from StatsBomb open-data aggregation across recent international tournaments (Euro 2020/2024, Copa America 2024, AFCON 2023, World Cup 2018/2022). The tactical-fingerprint badge maps each team’s observed style vector into one of eight canonical archetypes via a rule-based classifier; teams with fewer than three matches of qualifying coverage carry an “insufficient-data” label rather than being forced into a default. Sides outside the StatsBomb-open corpus use FotMob team match stats from recent qualifiers and friendlies instead (possession and shot volume only), marked as partial coverage. PPDA = passes the side allows per defensive action (lower = more intense press). Formation distributions are not yet produced — that head of the §2.7 classifier is pending its own data pull. See /docs/methodology/.
Squad depth
Most irreplaceable starters
Brazil
- Bruno GuimarãesCentral midfieldNo natural backup0.67gap
- Lucas PaquetáAttacking midfieldNo natural backup0.45gap
- CasemiroDefensive midfieldCover: Fabinho · 0.440.42gap
Morocco
- Nayef AguerdCentre-backCover: Chadi Riad · 0.000.85gap
- Issa DiopCentre-backCover: Chadi Riad · 0.000.85gap
- Ayoub El KaabiStrikerNo natural backup0.33gap
Gap = how far a side's rating at the position falls from the starter to his likely in-squad replacement (named under each name). Larger = harder to replace. Descriptive metric, does not feed the published probabilities. Methodology →
Match conditions
- AltitudeNear sea level7 m
- Avg temperatureFive-year mean over the tournament window23.8 °C
- Avg humidity71%
- Heat stressShade WBGT ~25.7 °CLow heat stress
- Pitch surfacetemporary natural grass over artificial turf
Artificial-turf NFL stadium; a temporary hybrid natural-grass pitch is being installed over the turf for the tournament, including the final.
Heat stress is a shade Wet-Bulb Globe Temperature proxy from the venue's climatology mean temperature and humidity; FIFA mandates cooling breaks at WBGT 32 °C. Evening kickoff (local time). These are long-window averages, not a match-day forecast, and they are not inputs to the forecast.
Top scorers · P(scores in this match)
- Sofyan AmrabatPKMF6.1%
- Youssef En-NesyriFW2.6%
- Ayoub El KaabiFW1.9%
Per-player scoring rate from Model #5 (`p_score_per_match`). Reflects each player's npxG/90, expected minutes, team xG share, and the average opposing-team defence. See /docs/methodology/.
Recent match form
Last match player ratings
Brazil
vs Japan · avg 7.0
Morocco
vs Netherlands · avg 7.0
Player scores from official highlight analysis of each team's most recent match. Observational, not a model input. Methodology →
Video analysis: player performance
Per-player ratings and event breakdowns from official highlights analysis. Tap a player to see their full match timeline.
8Ederson Moraes77'–77'Made a vital save in the second half, ensuring his team maintained a clean sheet.
1saves▼
Made a vital save in the second half, ensuring his team maintained a clean sheet.
Match timeline
7Raphinha68'–68'Created an attacking opportunity with a shot on target that was saved by the opposing goalkeeper.
1shots1on target▼
Created an attacking opportunity with a shot on target that was saved by the opposing goalkeeper.
Match timeline
6Neymar JrWas involved in several attacking movements but ultimately failed to convert any chances.
▼
Was involved in several attacking movements but ultimately failed to convert any chances.
Match timeline
8Yassine Bounou68'–68'Made a crucial save in the second half, contributing significantly to his team's clean sheet.
1saves▼
Made a crucial save in the second half, contributing significantly to his team's clean sheet.
Match timeline
6Amine Adli62'–62'Came on as a substitute but had no notable impact on the match.
▼
Came on as a substitute but had no notable impact on the match.
Match timeline
6Abde Ezzalzouli62'–62'Played for a significant portion of the match without any specific notable contributions.
▼
Played for a significant portion of the match without any specific notable contributions.
Match timeline
6Ilias Akhomach68'–68'Came on as a substitute but had no notable impact on the match.
▼
Came on as a substitute but had no notable impact on the match.
Match timeline
6Hakim Ziyech68'–68'Played for a significant portion of the match without any specific notable contributions.
▼
Played for a significant portion of the match without any specific notable contributions.
Match timeline
6Eliesse Ben Seghir72'–72'Came on as a substitute but had no notable impact on the match.
▼
Came on as a substitute but had no notable impact on the match.
Match timeline
6Youssef En Nesyri72'–72'Played for a significant portion of the match without any specific notable contributions.
▼
Played for a significant portion of the match without any specific notable contributions.
Match timeline
6Brahim DiazCame on as a substitute but had no notable impact on the match.
Came on as a substitute but had no notable impact on the match.
6Ismael Saibari77'–77'Played for a significant portion of the match without any specific notable contributions.
▼
Played for a significant portion of the match without any specific notable contributions.
Match timeline
Match observations
- The match was a tightly contested affair with both teams demonstrating solid defensive organisation.
- Neither side managed to break the deadlock, resulting in a goalless draw.
- Attacking opportunities were limited, with both goalkeepers making key saves to maintain their clean sheets.
▸Under the hood
Model-by-model comparison
Brazil vs Morocco
| Model | Weight | Home | Draw | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EloRating-based strength estimate | 32% | 54.7% | 22.0% | 23.3% |
| Dixon-ColesGoal-process model with low-score correction | 63% | 46.8% | 32.9% | 20.3% |
| Hierarchical PoissonBayesian model with confederation pooling | 6% | 48.4% | 31.0% | 20.6% |
| Bayesian stackingLearned-weight combination | — | 51.3% | 34.2% | 14.5% |
| Ensemble (published)Uniform average + isotonic calibration | — | 53.4% | 30.5% | 16.1% |
How each model works
- Elo
- Each team carries a single strength rating updated after every match by a margin-aware K-factor. Match probabilities come from the logistic function of the rating gap. Elo is fast-adapting but coarse — it sees only who won and by how much, not how the goals were scored.
- Dixon-Coles
- A Poisson regression on team-level attack and defence parameters, fitted via maximum likelihood with an exponential time-decay weighting. The Dixon-Coles correction adjusts the four low-score cells (0-0, 1-0, 0-1, 1-1) where independent Poisson underestimates dependence. Produces full scoreline distributions, not just H/D/A.
- Hierarchical Poisson
- A Bayesian Poisson model fitted via MCMC (PyMC) with hierarchical priors that pool attack and defence parameters within confederations. Shrinks small-sample teams toward their confederation mean — helpful for nations with few recent competitive fixtures. Slower to fit but better-calibrated on the tails.
- Bayesian stacking
- Optimises simplex weights (w_elo, w_dc, w_hp) to maximise the leave-one-out log-score across a walk-forward backtest (Yao et al. 2018). The result is a weighted average of the three component models' probabilities, then isotonic-calibrated. Adds no extra features — just learns which component to trust more from historical accuracy.
- Ensemble (published)
- Equal-weight average of all three component models, followed by per-class isotonic regression calibration fitted on 24 months of walk-forward out-of-fold predictions. This is the probability published on the site. The uniform mean is deliberately simple — it avoids overfitting to the stacking weights' training window.
Three independent component models feed two combination strategies. The uniform ensemble is the published probability; Bayesian stacking uses learned weights. Amber bars flag >5pp divergence from the published number. Full methodology
Probability decomposition (transparency surface)
- Baseline ensemble — P(Brazil win)50.1%
- + Lineup contribution0.0pp
- + Style-matchup contribution0.0pp
- Published P(Brazil win)50.1%
Decomposition of the published P(Brazil win) into the calibrated- baseline plus contributions from the §2.3 expected-XI lineup delta and the §2.7 style-matchup interaction. The §2.7 roadmap is explicit that style effects are second-order to team strength — single-digit-percentage P(win) shifts on extreme style matchups, near-zero on balanced ones. We surface the decomposition for transparency even when the contributions are small; the baseline carries the prediction. Methodology: /docs/methodology.
For this fixture both contributions round to under 0.05pp — the fitted style-matchup pair effect is in the small-magnitude regime the model expects to dominate.
Head-to-head history
| Date | Competition | Venue | Score | Result | xG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Jun 2026 | FIFA World Cup | NEast Rutherford | 1–1 | D | — |
| 25 Mar 2023 | Friendly | ATangier | 1–2 | L | — |
| 16 Jun 1998 | FIFA World Cup | NNantes | 3–0 | W | — |
| 9 Oct 1997 | Friendly | HBelém | 2–0 | W | — |
Brazil vs Morocco, every senior international meeting in the martj42 results dataset (score from Brazil's perspective; H/A/N = home/away/neutral).
Latest news & match context
- Brazil’s World Cup Collapse Revives Debate Over Faith and Soccer · Religion Unplugged · 14 Jul
- Stage:
- Group C · Matchday 1
- Date:
- 13 Jun
Ranked by likely importance. None of these feed the forecast: the probabilities rest on team strength, venue conditions and the style matchup.
- 1.Squad availability: 1 carrying a fitness doubt across the two squads, 1 of them projected starters. The forecast does not adjust for who is missing: its lineup channel currently contributes zero, so this is context the probabilities do not include.
Brazil
Brazil come in at close to full strength.
Morocco
Morocco: 1 carrying a fitness doubt.
- DoubtNayef Aguerd, the third-choice defender, is recovering from Groin injury and is a fitness watch item; if unavailable the projected XI shifts.
Availability runs in Brazil's favour here: Morocco are managing a fitness concern over Nayef Aguerd, while Brazil's projected XI looks intact.
Availability from the predicted squads and injury feed; forecast adjustments from the model's own decomposition. See /docs/methodology/.
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