Matheus Cunha scores twice and Vinicius Junior adds another as Brazil cruises past Haiti, although Carlo Ancelotti loses Raphinha to a muscle injury.
Brazil finally found its rhythm at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, cruising to a convincing 3-0 victory over Haiti and moving into a strong position in Group C.
After an underwhelming 1-1 draw against Morocco in Carlo Ancelotti’s debut as Brazil manager, the Seleção responded emphatically, producing an excellent first-half performance inspired by Matheus Cunha and Vinicius Junior. Yet despite the dominant display, the night was not entirely positive for Brazil, as Raphinha was forced off with a muscular injury before halftime.
The match offered further evidence that Brazil’s biggest obstacle may not be its opponents but rather its own search for balance and identity.
Ancelotti appeared to listen to criticism coming from Brazil by making significant adjustments to his lineup. Veteran defender Danilo returned to the back four, while Matheus Cunha was preferred to Igor Thiago as the central striker.
The changes paid immediate dividends.
Brazil dominated possession from the opening whistle and nearly found the breakthrough in the 22nd minute when Raphinha raced through on goal, only to drag his shot wide of Johny Placide’s post.
A minute later, the Seleção finally took the lead. Vinicius Junior burst into the penalty area and forced Placide into a save. The rebound bounced toward Cunha, who stretched out a leg under pressure from Delcroix and managed to redirect the ball into the net for his first goal of the tournament.
The connection between Vinicius and Cunha continued to torment Haiti’s defense.
In the 36th minute, Vinicius slipped a perfectly timed pass into the path of the Manchester United striker, who powered an unstoppable left-footed strike into the top corner to make it 2-0.
Brazil’s only concern arrived four minutes later. Raphinha suddenly stopped running, spoke briefly with teammates and the medical staff, and was unable to continue. The Barcelona winger walked off holding the back of his leg, raising fears of a muscular problem that could sideline him for the remainder of the group stage.
Even so, Brazil was not finished.
Deep into first-half stoppage time, Vinicius Junior exploited another lapse in Haiti’s defensive line, raced clear on goal and calmly slotted a low finish past Placide for Brazil’s third goal.
The second half became little more than a training exercise for Ancelotti’s side.
Haiti finally threatened from a set piece when Ricardo Adé forced Alisson into an excellent save, while Endrick thought he had added a fourth goal in the 78th minute only for VAR to rule it out for offside.
Still, the story of the night belonged to Cunha. The former Atlético Madrid forward demonstrated qualities Brazil had lacked against Morocco: movement between the lines, physical presence, intelligent link-up play and clinical finishing.
Against stronger opposition, tougher tests will undoubtedly await. But for one evening at least, Brazil looked much more like Brazil.
Match Report: Brazil 3-0 Haiti
Goals: 23′ Cunha (BRA), 36′ Cunha (BRA), 45+3′ Vinicius Junior (BRA)
Brazil (4-3-3): Alisson; Danilo, Marquinhos, Gabriel, Santos; Bruno Guimarães (81′ Ederson), Casemiro, Paquetá; Raphinha (40′ Rayan), Cunha (64′ Endrick), Vinicius Junior (81′ Danilo Santos).
Head Coach: Carlo Ancelotti
Haiti (5-4-1): Placide; Arcus (46′ Simon), Delcroix, Duverne, Adé, Experience; Casimir (46′ Deedson), Jean Jacques, Bellegarde (81′ Etienne), Providence (71′ Joseph); Pierrot (46′ Isidor).
Head Coach: Sébastien Migné
Referee: Hernández
Yellow Cards: Arcus, Pierrot, Jean Jacques (Haiti); Douglas Santos (Brazil)
Red Cards: None
Venue: FIFA World Cup 2026 – Group C
