Matheus Cunha stole the show with a brilliant first-half brace as Brazil beat Haiti 3-0 in Philadelphia to kick-start their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign in style.
His two goals also created a special record; it was the 10th time a Brazilian player has scored two or more goals in the first half of a World Cup match, the highest for any nation. The last player to do it was Neymar, who achieved the feat against Cameroon in 2014.
Brazil went into the match under some pressure after a 1-1 draw with Morocco in their opening game. Carlo Ancelotti’s side needed a strong response, and they delivered it against a Haiti team that had shown fight despite losing to Scotland earlier.
Brazil started on the front foot and even had the ball in the net early through Raphinha, who finished off a clever pass from Bruno Guimarães. However, the goal did not stand as he was ruled offside.
The breakthrough came midway through the first half. Vinícius Júnior’s shot was saved by the Haitian goalkeeper, but Matheus Cunha reacted quickly and tucked in the rebound despite defenders trying to clear it.
Not long after, Cunha struck again. He ran onto a perfect through ball from Vinícius and smashed it into the roof of the net from a tight angle, giving the goalkeeper no chance.
With this win, Brazil now have four points from two matches, level with Morocco but ahead on goal difference. They are in a strong position to move into the Round of 32.
Brazil will next face Scotland in their final group game. For Haiti, the defeat confirmed their exit from the tournament, even though they showed improvement in the second half.