Hakimi stamps on Vinicius's ankle without punishment in Brazil-Morocco draw (1-1)

The clash between Brazil and Morocco ended in a 1-1 draw on Saturday night at the 2026 World Cup, but it was an unsanctioned challenge by Achraf Hakimi on Vinicius Junior that dominated post-match discussions.

Just before half-time, as Vinicius Junior attempted a step-over to get past the Moroccan defender on the left wing, Hakimi extended his leg and stamped his right boot on the Brazilian’s ankle. Slovenian referee Slavko Vincic showed no card, and VAR did not intervene on the incident.

On social media, the sequence quickly circulated. Former South African international Benni McCarthy condemned the lack of refereeing decision. “If it had been a South African player, he would have been sent off. When it’s South Africa, it’s a completely different game,” he said, referring to the two red cards received by Bafana Bafana in their 2-0 defeat to Mexico just days earlier.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic, consultant for Fox Sports, shared this assessment. “The referee should have intervened and sent off Hakimi. This is not a question of reputation or timing in the match, but of player safety. Vinicius had beaten him, the danger is obvious and the contact came too late.”

The saga did not end there: in the 48th minute, Hakimi himself was on the receiving end of a similar challenge from Bruno Guimarães. Again, no card was issued, adding another layer to a refereeing controversy that overshadowed the sporting result of one of the competition’s opening fixtures.