Matheus Cunha leads Brazil to 3-0 World Cup win over Haiti

Brazil did not need long to show how quickly its attack can punish a loose touch. A recovery in midfield sparked the move, Vinícius Júnior drove at goal, and Matheus Cunha finished the rebound to open the scoring in Philadelphia Stadium, setting the tone for a 3-0 win over Haiti in the World Cup 2026 group stage.

Cunha struck twice for his first goals of the tournament, and his early finish was the clearest sign of Brazil’s sharpness against a overmatched opponent. Vinícius Júnior added the third before halftime and also set up one of Cunha’s goals, giving Brazil a first-half burst that made the match feel decided long before the final whistle. For a five-time world champion that had opened with a 1-1 draw against Morocco, the performance delivered a needed first victory and a far more convincing attacking identity.

The result also ended Haiti’s tournament. With the defeat, Haiti became the first team mathematically eliminated from the expanded 48-team World Cup, a harsh end for a side that had already made history by qualifying for the first time since 1974. Brazil, by contrast, used the game to answer the doubts that followed its debut and to reinforce the sense that Carlo Ancelotti’s team still has another gear when space opens up in transition.

The numbers underlined the point. Brazil scored three goals in the first half of a World Cup match for the first time since 2002, a marker of both efficiency and depth against weaker opposition. The attacking flow came at a cost, though: Raphinha left with a hamstring injury after reporting discomfort, a reminder that tournament sharpness is not only about finishing chances but also about surviving the physical demands of the group stage. Even so, Brazil left Philadelphia with a cleaner table position and a stronger warning to the rest of the field, as its front line turned midfield recovery into immediate damage.