(Photo credit: Caean Couto-Imagn Images)

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- As Brazil prepare to open their 2026 World Cup against Morocco on Saturday, Vinicius Jr. does not mince words about what his second World Cup means.

'This is the most important time in my life and in my career,' the 25-year-old Real Madrid star said on Friday.

With the aging Neymar formally ruled out vs. Morocco with a calf injury that has hampered his tournament preparations, Vinicius Jr. is now decidedly the face of Brazil's national team, one trying to recover from disappointment earlier in the decade.

It's one reason the Brazilian Football Confederation hired his former club coach Carlo Ancelotti to try and correct course for a team that lost the 2021 Copa America final on home soil to rivals Argentina, was eliminated in the 2022 World Cup quarterfinals by Croatia and then fell out of the 2024 Copa America to Uruguay on penalties in the quarterfinals.

'Playing with Ancelotti always makes me very confident, because he allows me the freedom and confidence to do (what) I've done with Real Madrid, now playing for the national team,' Vinicius Jr. said.

Together, Vinicius Jr. and Ancelotti won two UEFA Champions League crowns, two La Liga titles and the 2022 FIFA Club World Cup.

And it was Vinicius Jr. who scored the first goal for Brazil after Ancelotti took over last May, the only tally in a 1-0 home qualifying win over Paraguay last June that went a long way toward easing nerves in South America's most populous country.

If 2026 does represent a return to prominence for Brazil, it won't be an easy start in Group C play.

Morocco come in with enormous expectations of their own after becoming the first African side to reach a World Cup semifinal in 2022.

More recently, they were defeated by Senegal in extra time of a contentious African Cup of Nations final. Later, Morocco were awarded the title by the Confederation of African Football board of appeals because Senegal had walked off the pitch during the contest to protest a controversially awarded penalty during normal play.

But the Atlas Lions have had to make late cuts of two starters -- center back Nayef Aguerd and left winger Abde Ezzalzouli -- for last-minute injury changes heading into their opener. Manager Mohamed Ouahbi, who was only hired in March, insisted those would not result in a tactical shift.

'We're not going to change our principles too much,' Ouahbi said. 'We've showed very good things and we'll be sticking to our guns. It's not because we are playing a first game of a World Cup that we are going to change everything.'

--Group B: Qatar vs. Switzerland in Santa Clara, Calif.: After co-hosts Canada settled for a 1-1 draw with Bosnia and Herzegovina on Friday, both teams have a chance to seize the early group lead, though it's Switzerland who will be heavily favored.

--Group C: Haiti vs. Scotland in Foxborough, Mass.: Scotland will be playing their first World Cup match since 1998, while Haiti will be beginning only the second World Cup in their national history and first since 1974.

--Group D: Australia vs. Turkey in Vancouver: These are the next two opponents in the United States' group itinerary, and after Friday night's opener, manager Mauricio Pochettino will be able to do some TV scouting in real time.

--Ian Nicholas Quillen, Field Level Media