The reason Cunha provoked the Japanese player.

Matheus Cunha asserted that the five-finger celebration after the victory against Japan was a direct response to Kento Shiogai.

Cunha responds to the Japanese player's statement.

In the early hours of June 30th, after Brazil came from behind to beat Japan 2-1 and secure their place in the Round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup, Matheus Cunha became the center of attention with his celebration, raising both hands and shouting the number 5, alluding to the "Selecao's" five World Cup titles.

The striker later explained that his actions were in response to a controversial statement from Kento Shiogai before the match. Cunha said that Brazil has always had great respect for the Japanese national team.

According to him, this is one of the best teams in the world and has made a lot of progress in recent years. However, Shiogai's statements offended the Brazilian players.

"It's a shame he said that about us and showed he doesn't understand much about the Brazilian national team. We always try to live humbly and simply, not thinking we're better than anyone. But nobody is better than us either," Cunha said.

The Brazilian forward went on to emphasize: "Therefore, he needs to be put in his proper place. I hope next time he will be calmer and know who he is talking about."

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Cunha still respects the other Japanese players, especially the image of him comforting Ao Tanaka. Photo: Reuters.

Cunha denied intentionally creating a social media frenzy. The striker emphasized that the Brazilian players all understand the historical value of the national team jersey and the efforts required to earn the honor of wearing it.

Therefore, a foreign player making dismissive remarks about Brazil can be even more hurtful to the entire team. According to Cunha, the players may accept criticism from Brazilians themselves, but when the team is underestimated from the outside, they will unite to defend their national colors.

The atmosphere leading up to the Brazil-Japan match had already heated up since last weekend, after Shiogai stated that "Brazil is no longer the team it used to be."

Captain Marquinhos also admitted he sensed arrogance in the Japanese striker's words. Meanwhile, when asked by reporters about Shiogai's pre-match statement, coach Carlo Ancelotti ignored the question and asked everyone to focus on the action on the field.

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Source: https://znews.vn/li-do-cunha-khieu-khich-cau-thu-nhat-ban-post1664487.html