Brazil 3-0 Haiti: Cunha double silences Morocco doubters in commanding first-half masterclass

Brazil put their opening-match frustrations firmly behind them with an emphatic 3-0 victory over Haiti at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on Friday, restoring confidence and securing their first win of the 2026 World Cup in convincing fashion.

The three goals all arrived between the 22nd and 47th minutes, each carrying a similar clinical hallmark. Matheus Cunha claimed a brace — both goals converted after rebounds off the Haitian goalkeeper — while Vinicius Junior, who was directly involved in the first two, added a third from a Lucas Paqueta through-ball. A quiet second half changed little as Haiti offered no meaningful response.

The performance, and particularly the first half, represents exactly what Carlo Ancelotti has been seeking from this side — aggressive, direct and effective in the transition. The question now is how consistently Brazil can produce it.

How the match unfolded

The opening 20 minutes were not quite as comfortable as the final scoreline suggests. Raphinha had a goal disallowed and Brazil created little else of note before the game truly opened up, despite repeated attempts to play balls in behind the Haitian defensive line.

From the 22nd minute, however, Brazil were relentless. The first goal came through a quick combination centrally — Vinicius drove at the defence, beat two opponents and forced a save from Johny Placide before Cunha pounced on the rebound to finish left-footed.

The second followed shortly after as Paqueta won possession and immediately fed Vinicius, who played Cunha in for another close-range finish from another goalkeeping error.

The third, arriving just before the break, began with Paqueta's forward pass releasing Vinicius to run in behind and convert. Raphinha also wasted two clear one-on-one chances against Placide.

The second half dropped in intensity considerably. Brazil did not register a shot on goal for the best part of 30 minutes, though Gabriel Martinelli struck the crossbar in a move correctly ruled out for offside.

Substitute Endrick also found the net but was similarly flagged. Haiti's best and only noteworthy moment of the entire contest came when Alisson was required to save a long-range effort from Dominique Simon. The result was both emphatic and entirely fair given the chances Brazil created throughout.

Raphinha was substituted with what appeared to be a knock during the second half, with Rayan coming on in his place rather than the more obvious choice of Luiz Henrique, a selection that suggests the coaching staff may have had positional or stylistic reasons for the switch. The fitness of the number 11 will be worth monitoring ahead of Wednesday's Group C fixture against Scotland.

Haiti's high line creates the perfect conditions for Brazil

Perhaps surprisingly, Haiti elected to operate with a relatively high defensive line, but crucially applied little pressure to the Brazilian ball-carriers.

The result was significant amounts of space for the centre-backs, Paqueta and Casemiro to play forward, while Vinicius and Raphinha — Brazil's two most dangerous attacking weapons, both pace-reliant and expert at running in behind — were able to repeatedly target a slow Haitian defence.

This is the ideal scenario for Brazil: high-tempo, direct attacks that bypass the opposition defensive shape before it can reorganise. In the first half alone, both wide attackers were played in repeatedly, Raphinha scoring and missing in quick succession before Vinicius took centre stage for the goals.

The blueprint is simple. Whether it is exploiting a high opposition line with little pressing in the carrier, or triggering quick vertical attacks from a turnover in the attacking third, that is the environment in which Brazil's most dangerous players operate at their very best.

Brazil may not always find it this straightforward

Friday's conditions, however, will not present themselves every time. Morocco, aggressive and well-organised in their pressing structure in the opening match, demonstrated how a prepared opponent can limit the space that Brazil's attackers depend upon.

Wednesday's Group C fixture against Scotland on Wednesday 25 June, an intensely physical side capable of applying sustained pressure, is likely to offer a strikingly different challenge.

In such a context, quality in the build-up phase and the ability to manufacture those same vertical opportunities from a more compact midfield block will be essential.

Friday represented the ideal test for this Brazil side — and they passed it. The question of whether Ancelotti's team can find the same answers against opponents who make life considerably more difficult remains very much open.