⚽ FIFA World Cup 2026 · Group C
Brazil
BRA
Full time
3-0
Haiti
HAI
2026-06-19 · Philadelphia Stadium, Philadelphia
The verdict“Brazil remembered they are Brazil, Cunha helped himself to a brace, and Haiti discovered that plucky is a lovely word that wins you exactly zero points.”
The Performance Review
After a nervy opening draw, Brazil finally pressed the button marked obvious in Philadelphia, and Haiti were the unlucky souls standing in front of it. Cunha bagged a brace inside the first half and Vinicius Jr added a third in stoppage time, a tidy 3-0 that sends Ancelotti's side top of Group C and into a showdown with Scotland in Miami. Normal service, eventually resumed.
Haiti, to their credit, turned up plucky. Unfortunately plucky is the participation medal of football, and they paired it with sloppy, gifting Brazil the opener when Placide could not hold a Vinicius shot and Cunha tapped in the leftovers. You cannot hand the five-time champions a head start and then act surprised when they sprint off with the game.
Brazil were good without ever needing to be great, which is the most Brazil thing imaginable. Vini Jr looked sharp, Cunha looked clinical, and the rest of the team looked like they were saving the real fireworks for someone who can actually punish them. Job done. Style points pending.
The VAR Tax
VAR had a quiet night, the only thing under review was whether Haiti's defenders had been formally introduced to Cunha before he scored twice.
Who Got Burned
Haiti, who fought hard, defended bravely for stretches, and still left with nothing because bravery does not stop Cunha. The harsher burn is the self-inflicted one: spilling the first goal into their own six-yard chaos and inviting Brazil to relax. Once the Selecao smell blood and a clean sheet, the night is over, and Haiti spent the rest of it chasing shadows in yellow.
The Bright Side
Haiti are at a World Cup and they made Brazil work for the opener, which is a story their grandkids will hear about. And for the neutrals, a switched-on Vinicius Jr and a Cunha in this kind of form means Brazil might finally be fun to watch again. The giant has woken up, and that is good for everyone except the next opponent.
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