Brazil recovered from its opening stumble against Morocco with a convincing 3-0 win over Haiti in Philadelphia at the 2026 World Cup. Carlo Ancelotti's team took its first victory of the tournament, moved to the top of Group C with 4 points, level with Morocco, and left Haiti bottom with 0 points after two rounds.
The big pre-tournament question for Brazil was who would lead the attack. After an unsuccessful try with Igor Thiago, Ancelotti turned to Matheus Cunha, and the Manchester United striker responded with his first brace for the national team, scoring in the 23rd and 36th minutes to treble his international tally. The result may not be a perfect measure of what lies ahead, but the performance should boost his confidence.
Vinicius Junior also played a central role in all three goals. His shot was saved by Haiti goalkeeper Placide before Cunha scored the opener, then he set up Cunha for the second with a through ball. Brazil's third came before halftime when Lucas Paqueta delivered a clever assist for Vinicius, who finished from close range.
The main worry for Brazil was the injury to Raphinha, who was taken off in the first half after what appeared to be a muscle problem. The severity is not yet clear, but losing a player of his quality would be a major concern for the rest of the tournament. Brazil dominated the first half and scored all three goals there, but eased off after the break, allowing Haiti several chances. On at least two occasions, Alisson made saves to preserve the clean sheet.
