Endrick or Igor Thiago: Brazil’s Striker Call for the Morocco Opener

Brazil · World Cup

The biggest selection question facing Brazil before the World Cup opener is who leads the line, and the choice of Brazil striker now comes down to two very different players: Brentford’s physical Igor Thiago, who started against Egypt, and the 20-year-old finisher Endrick, who came off the bench to win it.

What the Egypt friendly told Ancelotti about his Brazil striker

Brazil closed their preparation with a 2-1 win over Egypt in Cleveland on Saturday, June 6, the last fixture before the tournament. Igor Thiago led the line for the first half and had two clear sights of goal, but Egyptian goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir denied him each time.

Ancelotti then made a wholesale change at the interval, sending on Endrick among a raft of substitutions. Within minutes the youngster had turned Raphinha’s low cross into the net to restore Brazil’s lead.

The contrast was stark and convenient for the headline writers. One striker toiled without reward, the other needed barely seven minutes to settle the match.

Yet a single cameo is thin evidence on which to build a World Cup, and Ancelotti has been careful not to read too much into a warm-up scoreline. The win extended an unbeaten run into the tournament, but a friendly against Egypt is not the same test as a group opener against a side built to defend.

Two profiles, two ways to play

Igor Thiago is the more conventional number nine. A tall, strong forward who scored freely in the Premier League for Brentford, he offers a focal point: he holds the ball up, occupies centre-backs and lets Brazil’s wingers run beyond him.

Endrick is a different proposition. The Real Madrid forward, who left Palmeiras as one of the most coveted teenagers in the world game, lives off instinct and movement inside the box rather than link play.

The choice, then, is partly tactical and partly about temperament. Igor Thiago suits a Brazil that wants to build patiently and pin a deep defence; Endrick rewards a team that creates chaos and needs someone to finish it.

There is also the matter of experience. Igor Thiago has more minutes as a senior centre-forward, while Endrick is still accumulating starts at club and international level after a season of limited game time in Madrid.

Brazil’s wider attacking riches blur the picture further. With Vinícius Júnior, Raphinha and Matheus Cunha all capable of playing high and wide, Ancelotti can change the centre-forward’s job description from match to match without overhauling his system.

That flexibility is the point. The starting striker against Morocco need not be the striker who finishes the tournament, and Brazil’s coaching staff have spoken all build-up about wanting options for different kinds of game.

How Ancelotti has set up the attack

The striker debate cannot be separated from the shape around it. Ancelotti has leaned on Raphinha drifting into deeper, central positions and a three-man midfield that floods the area when Brazil attack.

That is precisely the pattern that produced the winner against Egypt: Raphinha carrying the ball to the byline and pulling it back for a finisher arriving late. It is a system that flatters a poacher more than a target man.

A complication arrived in the same match when right-back Wesley limped off injured, a worry for a coach with only days left to settle his line-up. The defensive reshuffle could yet shape how adventurous Brazil can afford to be against Morocco.

Why Morocco’s defence matters to the call

Morocco are not a typical group-stage opener. The 2022 semi-finalists are organised, compact and comfortable defending a low block, the kind of opponent that rarely leaves space in behind.

Against that shape, a mobile poacher who thrives on transitions may find less room than a target man who can occupy markers and bring others into play. That argument quietly favours Igor Thiago from the first whistle, with Endrick held back as the game-changer Brazil clearly believe he can be.

The encounter takes place on June 13 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, the headline fixture of Group C’s opening round. You can read more on the build-up in our coverage of how Brazil and Morocco set up their camps minutes apart in New Jersey and the wider business of Brazilian football in 2026.

Whichever way Ancelotti leans, he has the luxury of options many coaches would envy. The likeliest outcome is that both players feature against Morocco, with the only real question being which name the team sheet shows first.

Frequently Asked Questions

When do Brazil play their first World Cup match?

Brazil open the 2026 World Cup against Morocco on Saturday, June 13, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. It is the headline fixture of Group C’s first round.

Who scored in Brazil’s friendly against Egypt?

Bruno Guimarães put Brazil ahead, Egypt equalised through Mostafa Ziko, and Endrick scored the winner shortly after coming on as a half-time substitute for a 2-1 final score.

Will Endrick start for Brazil against Morocco?

Ancelotti has not confirmed his starting striker. Endrick’s impact off the bench against Egypt strengthened his case, but Igor Thiago’s physical profile may suit Brazil better against a compact Morocco defence.

Who else is in Brazil’s World Cup group?

Brazil are in Group C alongside Morocco, Scotland and Haiti. They face Haiti on June 19 in Philadelphia and Scotland on June 24 in Miami.