Vinicius Junior arrived at this World Cup with a clear mission. "I am not here to be the best player of the tournament," he said on the eve of Brazil's opening Group C fixture. "I am here to help Brazil get back to the top."

He made good on that promise — at least in part. With Brazil trailing Morocco 1-0 and looking short of ideas at the New Jersey New York Stadium, the Real Madrid forward produced a moment of genuine class to draw his side level.

Collecting a pass from Bruno Guimaraes on the left edge of the penalty area, Vinicius cut inside onto his right foot and drilled a stunning strike into the roof of the net. It was his 10th goal for Brazil, and one that prevented the five-time world champions from losing an opening World Cup match for the first time since 1934.

The match ended 1-1, however, and the draw leaves as many questions as it does relief for a Brazil side managed by Carlo Ancelotti.

A ragged performance raises concerns

For long spells, Morocco were the better side — sharper, more organised, and more clinical in their pressing. Ismael Saibari's goal gave them a deserved lead, and Brazil struggled to impose themselves in the sweltering New Jersey heat.

Former England captain Alan Shearer described the performance as "ragged" in his assessment for BBC Sport. Former Uruguay and Chelsea midfielder Gus Poyet was equally blunt: "We were expecting more from them. I was surprised how bad technically they were today. They were missing passes — simple passes that you would expect the Brazilian players to do well."

South American football expert Tim Vickery offered a sharper perspective: "This is precisely why Brazil are so dangerous. How many teams can play that badly and still be in the game? It's the individuality." He added: "Ideally you want the team to make the stars — here you have a case of the star saving the team."

Casemiro, 34, struggled in the heat and was replaced at half-time. Defender Roger Ibanez also failed to emerge for the second half as Ancelotti sought to address the team's structural problems. The squad, widely noted to be overloaded with wingers, appeared to lack balance and numbers in central midfield.

Ancelotti's World Cup debut ends in apology

For Ancelotti, 67, this was his first match as a head coach at a World Cup — a milestone he had called "a beautiful moment" heading into the game. The occasion did not go as planned.

"I am sorry we didn't play as well as we hoped," the Italian said in his post-match press conference. "We have to do better, that's very clear. We have to have a more balanced team and we have to be more aggressive. I am not disappointed but I am not satisfied either."

Ancelotti, the first overseas coach ever to lead Brazil at a World Cup, inherited a squad that had endured a troubled qualifying campaign — winning only three of their first eight South American qualifiers and suffering six defeats in 18 games before finishing fifth in the table.

Can Vinicius carry Brazil's burden?

Brazilian football expert Marcus Alves captured the weight of expectation on Vinicius perfectly: "The expectation was for him, by now, to have become the Selecao's leading figure. Yet, four years on from a penalty shootout exit against Croatia in the 2022 World Cup quarter-finals, doubts remain around him."

Former England goalkeeper Joe Hart, speaking on BBC One, was more celebratory: "This is where Vinicius Jr comes into his own. He was quiet in the game, of course he was, but you can't criticise players like this on the big stage. He cuts in, smashes it past Bono. What a moment."

Vinicius himself spoke with conviction ahead of the match: "I feel great freedom and sincere trust from Ancelotti. I want to try to write the history of the country and the national team. We must do everything to win."

Brazil face Haiti in Philadelphia on 19 June and then Scotland in Miami on 24 June. A nation still waiting for a first World Cup title since 2002 will demand far more — though as Argentina's run from a shock defeat to Saudi Arabia to the trophy in Qatar four years ago showed, early stumbles do not always define a campaign.