Brazil rout Haiti 3-0, climb to top of Group C

FIFA had billed the match as a 'David vs. Goliath' clash; Cunha scores twice, Vinicius Jr. involved in all three goals

Brazil's Matheus Cunha (No. 9) celebrates after scoring his team's first goal against Haiti in their 2026 FIFA World Cup Group C match at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Saturday. [AFP]

World Cup title contender Brazil (FIFA ranking: 6th) rode a brace from Matheus Cunha to demolish Haiti (83rd) and move to the top of Group C.

Brazil defeated Haiti 3-0 on Saturday in their second Group C match at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. FIFA had singled out the matchup on its official website on June 11 as a "David vs. Goliath" contest.

Brazil had drawn 1-1 with Morocco on June 14, and Saturday's win gave them four points — one win and one draw — to lead Group C. Chasing their first World Cup title in 24 years, Brazil face Scotland in their final group-stage match on Thursday. A draw would be enough to secure a top-two finish and advance to the round of 32.

Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti, who had brought Cunha on as a second-half substitute against Morocco, started him on Saturday, and Cunha repaid the faith with two goals. Vinicius Junior had a hand in all three, steering Brazil to victory and filling the void left by Neymar, who missed both group-stage matches with a right calf injury.

Haiti, meanwhile, became the first team eliminated from the tournament after suffering their second straight defeat. The Caribbean nation had returned to the World Cup for the first time since the 1974 West Germany edition — 52 years ago — but again failed to win in the group stage.

Brazil lined up in a 4-4-2 and spent the entire first half probing the space behind Haiti's defense. Haiti, set up in a 5-4-1, were overwhelmed and failed to register a single shot in the opening 45 minutes. The opener came in the 23rd minute: Vinicius Junior received a pass from Bruno Guimaraes and fired a left-footed shot inside the penalty area; Haiti goalkeeper Jonny Placide could only parry the ball, and it deflected off Cunha into the net.

Brazil extended their lead in the 36th minute with Cunha's second. After winning the ball in midfield, Brazil broke quickly through Vinicius Junior's driving run, and his through ball found Cunha, who tucked a left-footed shot into the top of the net from a tight angle. Three minutes into first-half stoppage time, Vinicius — who had assisted Cunha's second — sealed the match at 3-0 with a goal of his own.

yjc@heraldcorp.com