Brazil wins big at the World Cup.

Manchester United striker Matheus Cunha scored a brace to help Brazil beat Haiti 3-0 in Group C of the 2026 World Cup.

Brazil's victory means Haiti has become the first team to be certain of failing to qualify for the knockout round. In their first World Cup appearance since 1974, Haiti played with great determination, but limitations in their abilities meant they failed to score any points or goals in their first two matches in Group C.

Cunha (number 9, in blue) opened the scoring at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA on June 20. Photo: Reuters

Brazil completely dominated the first half, partly due to the Caribbean side's shaky defense. Haiti's high defensive line allowed Matheus Cunha, Raphinha, and Vinicius Junior to constantly exploit the gaps behind them. Neymar continued to be absent for Brazil for the second consecutive match due to a calf injury that had not yet fully recovered.

In the 12th minute, Raphinha put the ball into the net, but the goal was disallowed for offside. The Barcelona striker received a through ball from Bruno Guimaraes and finished accurately, but the assistant referee determined he had moved just inches too early. Ten minutes later, Raphinha broke through again to face the goal, but the former Leeds player's shot went wide of the post. Once again, the offside flag was raised.

Matheus Cunha made his World Cup start, replacing Igor Thiago at center forward for Brazil. The Manchester United striker quickly proved why he deserved a place in the starting lineup, rather than coming on as a substitute in the lackluster 1-1 draw against Morocco.

The 27-year-old striker delighted Brazilian fans, who made up the majority of the 68,324 spectators at Lincoln Financial Field, by scoring his first World Cup goal with a close-range rebound.

He then went on to score with a left-footed shot that nestled into the top corner, making it 2-0 in the first half. Cunha brought a festive atmosphere to Philadelphia, home to nearly 6,000 Brazilian immigrants, with his signature surfing celebration.

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Cunha (left) celebrates a goal with his teammates at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, on June 20. Photo: Reuters

Vinicius Junior, who scored to secure Brazil's draw against Morocco, was involved in all three goals. His shot was saved by goalkeeper Johny Placide in the 23rd minute, but Cunha was quick to pounce on the rebound to open the scoring. Later, the Real Madrid forward continued his assist by threading a pass through the defense for Cunha to run onto and fire a shot into the top corner of the net, with Placide having absolutely no chance of saving it.

Vinicius, after two assists, directly scored his own goal in injury time of the first half. The Real Madrid striker raced down to receive a lofted pass from Lucas Paqueta and calmly beat Placide in a one-on-one situation. However, the impressive start of the five-time world champions was somewhat overshadowed when Raphinha had to leave the field before halftime due to an injury believed to be related to a hamstring.

Brazil scored three goals in the first half, but Carlo Ancelotti's tactical intentions were not clearly revealed, beyond controlling the ball slowly and then lofting long passes for the attacking players. This tactic had certain advantages and resulted in the second and third goals, but it also led to a series of offside situations and rather careless turnovers.

Vinicius Jr. scored the third goal at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA on June 20. Photo: Reuters

Haiti, after a first half with an expected goals (xG) of 0.00, created their first shot of the match early in the second half. Wilson Isidor, a substitute, took a shot that was not too difficult for Alisson to save. Alisson then denied Haiti their first World Cup goal since 1974 with a superb close-range save after Ricardo Ade's header from a corner.

Jean-Kevin Duverne also missed another chance for Haiti when his shot went wide of the post. At the opposite end of the pitch, substitute Gabriel Martinelli hit the crossbar after a save by Placide.

Brazil were unable to score any more goals in the second half, with Douglas Santos shooting over the bar, Endrick putting the ball into the net being disallowed for offside, and Ederson missing a golden opportunity with a shot wide.

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In the final minutes, Haiti mounted a strong comeback. Isidor forced Alisson to make a spectacular save, before Dominique Simon's long-range shot in injury time was again denied by the Liverpool goalkeeper.

The 3-0 scoreline was enough to satisfy Brazil, who are aiming for their first World Cup title since 2002, before their final group stage match against Scotland at Miami Gardens next week. "We could have played better in the second half, but we also have to think about the games ahead," coach Ancelotti stated, not hiding his pragmatic approach.

Source: https://baohatinh.vn/brazil-thang-dam-o-world-cup-post312581.html