21 June 2026

Leading the line in place of Igor Thiago, Manchester United forward Matheus Cunha netted twice in Brazil’s 3-0 victory over Haiti at the World Cup — a performance that could finally provide a solution to their prolonged search for a reliable centre-forward.

Cunha opened the scoring in the 23rd minute after a brilliant run from Vinicius Junior caused confusion in the Haitian defence. He doubled his tally in the 36th minute with a powerful left-foot strike into Johny Placide’s top corner. Reports from L'Équipe noted that Ronaldo was seen smiling from the official stand as the second goal went in.

A former Lyon player was introduced on the hour mark at 65 minutes and thought he had added a third in the 78th minute, only for his effort to be ruled offside — Cunha was visibly frustrated on his teammate’s behalf. Vinicius later completed the win with a fine solo effort in the closing stages.

This was arguably Cunha’s finest outing in a Brazil shirt. His intelligent movement and link-up play were a significant improvement from the 1-1 draw against Morocco, where Igor Thiago had struggled to make an impact. Cunha also recovered five balls, second only to Lucas Paqueta’s nine, underlining his work rate and selfless contribution to the team.

Vinicius joked that although Cunha rarely features as a No 9, he seems to find the net whenever he does. He added that Carlo Ancelotti had instructed the forward to position himself between the two opposing centre-backs. Cunha admitted he does not view himself as a traditional striker, explaining that he typically plays deeper or wider for Manchester United, where he registered 10 goals and four assists across 34 Premier League appearances.

Now 27, Cunha has three goals in 25 international caps. Reflecting on the team’s development, he acknowledged that Brazil’s tactical cohesion is still evolving due to limited preparation time, but expressed optimism about the group’s growing unity. For now, the Seleçao may have discovered their No 9 for this tournament — a welcome resolution to one of Carlo Ancelotti’s key challenges.