Vinicius: The heat and the pitch confused us.

Brazilian Vinicius Junior tried to explain the lackluster performance of his national team at the start of their journey in the 2026 World Cup, following a 1-1 draw with Morocco, considering that the weather conditions and the surface of the MetLife Stadium had a direct impact on the Brazilian team's level.

The Real Madrid forward stated that the Moroccan team is currently one of the strongest teams on the international stage, before pointing out that the high temperatures and the dry surface of the pitch made it difficult for the players to impose their usual rhythm.

He explained in statements after the match: "There is the heat, and the pitch dries out very quickly, making it hard to play in such conditions. We cannot maintain the rhythm of play that we want, and this does not help us because we aim to circulate the ball and move it through different areas of the pitch."

He added that the Brazilian team will need to adapt to these conditions during the rest of the tournament, saying: "We have to adapt because I believe the situation will be similar throughout the World Cup. We will improve our performance and achieve victories in the upcoming matches."

Vinicius also spoke about his personal performance, admitting that he did not deliver his best despite scoring Brazil's goal in the match, saying: "I can perform much better. I scored a goal, but I wasn't at my best, and I can still improve technically."

The performance of the Brazilian team has drawn widespread criticism in local media, which considered that coach Carlo Ancelotti's squad did not meet the expected level, both collectively and individually, despite the strength of the Moroccan opponent, which has strengthened its international standing in recent years.