Cunha’s Brace Powers Brazil to Dominant World Cup Victory Over Haiti

Brazil showcased a significantly improved performance to secure a 3-0 victory over Haiti, propelling them to the summit of World Cup Group C. Matheus Cunha was the standout performer, netting a brace in the first half, with Vinícius Júnior adding a third to seal a comfortable win.

The Seleção looked a different side from their opening draw against Morocco, displaying fluidity and attacking intent that the Haitian defence struggled to contain. The result eliminates Haiti from the tournament, having also lost their opening match against Scotland.

First Half Dominance

Brazil’s attacking prowess was evident from the outset, exploiting Haiti’s high defensive line. Raphinha had an effort disallowed for offside in the 12th minute after a well-timed through-ball from Bruno Guimarães. The Barcelona forward later missed a chance, lifting his finish wide after being sent clear again.

The breakthrough came in the 23rd minute when Vinícius Júnior’s curling shot was parried by Haiti goalkeeper Johny Placide, allowing Matheus Cunha to tap in the rebound. Cunha doubled Brazil’s advantage in the 36th minute, smashing a first-time finish into the roof of the net after being played in by Vinícius Júnior, who capitalized on a midfield turnover.

The dominant first half was slightly marred by an apparent hamstring injury to Raphinha, who was replaced by Bournemouth teenager Rayan. Vinícius Júnior capped off a superb opening period with Brazil’s third goal in first-half stoppage time, latching onto a lofted pass from Lucas Paquetá and calmly finishing past Placide.

Haiti’s Efforts and Brazil’s Control

Haiti showed brief moments of threat in the second half. Danilo’s misplaced pass led to Wilson Isidor’s tame effort on goal in the 48th minute, which was comfortably saved by Alisson. The Liverpool goalkeeper later denied Haiti their first World Cup goal since 1974 with a point-blank save from Ricardo Adé’s header.

Brazil continued to create chances, with substitute Gabriel Martinelli seeing an effort tipped onto the crossbar by Placide. Douglas Santos fired over, Endrick had another goal ruled out for offside, and Ederson missed a good opportunity. Despite the numerous second-half chances, Brazil could not add to their tally.

Haiti’s elimination was confirmed as Isidor’s effort was saved by Alisson, and Dominique Simon’s late long-range shot was also parried away by the Brazilian keeper.

Key facts

This victory is crucial for Brazil, demonstrating their potential to be World Cup contenders and providing a significant confidence boost as they navigate the tournament. For Haiti, the tournament concludes without reaching the knockout stages.

Source: The Guardian Football, https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/jun/20/brazil-haiti-world-cup-match-report