Philadelphia, the city that marked America’s start in 1776, turned Brazilian for one night as thousands of fans in yellow filled the streets and Lincoln Financial Field. The scene was festive but relaxed, with many families, no Neymar, and far less street carnival than the Argentine gatherings seen elsewhere. Before kickoff, supporters climbed the Rocky steps, posed by the statue near the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and bought Brazil shirts and souvenirs. A street vendor selling shirts of Pelé, Romário and Endrick said, “I don’t know if I’ll have a ticket for the game. It’s too expensive.”
Inside the stadium, Brazil faced Haiti in a World Cup match that also introduced the tournament’s new anti time wasting rule. In the fifth minute, Haiti goalkeeper Josué Duverger held onto the ball too long, drew loud boos from the Brazilian crowd, and gave Brazil an early corner. Haiti spent most of the game defending deep, while Brazil pressed with Lucas Paquetá, Casemiro and Andrey Gomes on a night that also featured some tension over rule enforcement and VAR checks.
Matheus Cunha opened the scoring in the 23rd minute by finishing a rebound after a save by Haitian keeper Alexandre Plaisir. He celebrated by dancing in front of the stands. The striker added a second in the 36th minute with a powerful shot into the corner after a smart pass from Vinícius Júnior, and Vinícius himself made it 3-0 before halftime for his second goal of the tournament.
Brazil, which has not won a World Cup since 2002 and was still stung by Argentina’s triumph in Qatar, played with control and restraint rather than a full rout. Raphinha left injured, but Brazil kept the crowd singing, including a halftime chorus of Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer.” A late Haitian chance brought a roar from the visiting fans, but goalkeeper Alisson preserved the clean sheet as Brazil finished off a comfortable win.
