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Rabat – French football legend Thierry Henry has questioned the decision to name Vinicius Junior as Man of the Match following Morocco’s 1-1 draw with Brazil in their opening game of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Vinicius received the award after scoring Brazil’s equalizer in the 32nd minute. However, Henry reportedly argued that Morocco midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi produced the best overall performance of the match.
The 18-year-old played with confidence in his first competitive international appearance for Morocco, helping the Atlas Lions compete with Brazil and control large parts of the midfield battle.
In comments reported after the match, Henry said individual awards should consider a player’s impact throughout the full 90 minutes rather than focus only on one decisive moment.
While acknowledging the importance and quality of Vinicius’ goal, the former Arsenal forward said Bouaddi had a greater influence on the overall game.
Henry pointed out to the midfielder’s calmness when Morocco came under pressure, as well as his ability to recover possession and help his team move the ball out of difficult areas.
He also hailed the maturity Bouaddi showed while facing experienced Brazilian midfielders on the biggest stage in international football.
Henry said that producing such a composed display at the age of 18 and against a team such as Brazil was a major achievement.
Impressive World Cup debut
Bouaddi was among Morocco’s standout performers at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
The Lille midfielder recorded more touches than any of his Moroccan teammates and completed over 90% of his passes. He was also effective in duels, ball recoveries, and carrying possession forward.
His performance helped Morocco start strongly before Ismael Saibari opened the scoring in the 21st minute following a pass from Brahim Diaz.
Vinicius brought Brazil level shortly afterward with a powerful finish, but the five-time world champions struggled to take full control of the match.
