2 goals, 4 duels won: United star spearheaded his nations thrilling World Cup victory

Manchester United forward Matheus Cunha inspired Brazil to a commanding 3-0 World Cup win over Haiti on Friday, 19 June, at the Philadelphia Stadium. Carlo Ancelotti’s team arrived at the fixture desperate for a win after drawing their opening game against Morocco. Cunha had started that tie from the bench, before coming on for his World Cup debut in the second half. While he failed to muster a goal contribution, the 27 year old was praised for his performances by the country’s media. Cunha is coming off an impressive campaign with United, finishing with 10 goals and four assists in 35 appearances across all competitions. He ended the season as one of Michael Carrick’s most important men, helping the Red Devils secure third place in the Premier League table. Matheus Cunha stats: 2025/26 Season CompetitionAppearancesStartsGoalsAssistsYellow CardsRed CardsMinutes Played Premier League33291044-2,503′ FA Cup11—-90′ EFL Cup11—-90′ Total35311044-2,683′ Source: Transfermarkt. Cunha’s ability to carry out various roles in the final third also made him an attractive proposition for Ancelotti. The Italian manager handed the player his first World Cup start on Friday, and he did not disappoint. Brazil blow away Haiti Brazil made two changes to the team that shared points with Morocco, with Danilo coming into the back line in place of Roger Ibanez and Cunha replacing Igor Thiago in attack. The Selecao took the lead in the 23rd minute through the United star, who reacted quickly after Johny Placide parried Vinicius Junior’s shot into his path. Replays confirmed that the goal was a bit fortuitous, as Markhus Lacroix’s attempted clearance had ricocheted off Cunha. The Brazilian, though, gave fans a reminder of his abilities before the end of the break. Latching on to Vinicius’ through ball, Cunha unleashed an exquisite finish into the roof of the net to double the score and asserted the Selecao’s dominance in the tie. The Real Madrid forward, meanwhile, applied the finishing touches at the stroke of half-time to take the game away from the Caribbean nation. Ederson, who has reportedly agreed to join United this summer, did come on for his World Cup debut in the 81st minute, replacing Bruno Guimaraes. The 25 year old completed all three of his attempted passes and even squandered a big chance. Brazil ended the game with nine shots, five of which were on target, and 57% possession. While Vinicius was adjudged the man of the match, Cunha justified his selection ahead of Igor Thiago with a masterclass. Cunha’s form will please United Cunha started the game as a focal point of attack and showed signs of a budding relationship with Vinicius Junior that will please Ancelotti. The United star managed 41 touches of the ball, and registered 29 passes with 86% passing accuracy. The former Wolverhampton Wanderers forward’s only attempted cross did not reach its intended target. Cunha also lost the ball nine times, but he refused to give up an inch on the pitch without a fight. The Brazilian won four of his five duels and was also fouled once. He registered one interception and two tackles as well. Cunha, however, failed to register any dribbles, but scored two vital goals to power his team to the top of Group C. Matheus Cunha Stats vs Haiti: 2026 World Cup MetricMatheus Cunha NationBrazil PositionF Touches41 Accurate Passes25/29 (86%) Key Passes0 Crosses (Accurate)1 (0) Long Balls (Accurate)- Shots on Target2 Expected Goals (xG)0.73 Shots off Target0 Shots Blocked0 Dribbles (Successful)0 (0) Duels (Won)5 (4) Ground Duels (Won)4 (3) Aerial Duels (Won)1 (1) Possession Lost9 Fouls1 Was Fouled- Offsides1 Defensive Actions3 Clearances0 Blocked Shots (Defensive)0 Interceptions1 Tackles (Won)2 Dribbled Past0 Source: Sofascore. Final Thoughts Cunha has already displayed his versatility since arriving at Old Trafford, regularly operating through the middle under former head coach Ruben Amorim, as well as his successor Carrick. United fans will now hope that the Brazilian can build on his World Cup performances, return unscathed and propel the team back to their glory days next season. Featured image by Molly Darlington/Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Deepungsu Pandit Deepungsu has been a Manchester United fan since 2000. In his playing days, he was an attacking midfielder with a proclivity for the back heel. Right now, however, he prefers to operate as a regista. Deepungsu has been writing about the Red Devils, Football, and other things since 2009. He has worked for over seven years with Sportskeeda, writing football reviews, opinions and news articles. Deepungsu also maintains a blog, The Thinking Me, where he writes about life and things that interest him. His favourite Manchester United player is Paul Scholes.