Brazil took a firm grip on their FIFA World Cup 2026 Group C match against Haiti with a 3-0 lead at halftime in Philadelphia on Saturday.
Matheus Cunha scored twice before Vinicius Junior added a third goal deep into stoppage time to put the five time world champions in complete control.
Brazil dominated possession from the start and pushed Haiti deep inside their own half. Vinicius Junior and Raphinha caused problems on both wings as the South American side searched for an early breakthrough.
Raphinha thought he had opened the scoring in the 12th minute when he curled the ball into the far corner. However, the assistant referee raised the flag for offside.
Brazil continued to press and finally found the breakthrough in the 23rd minute. Vinicius forced a save from goalkeeper Johny Placide with a curling effort. The rebound fell into a crowded area and a clearance attempt struck Cunha before rolling into the net.
The goal settled Brazil and the chances kept coming. Haiti tried to respond through Frantzdy Pierrot and Duckens Nazon but struggled to create clear openings against a solid Brazilian defence.
Cunha doubled the lead in the 36th minute with a fine finish. Vinicius played him through after Douglas Santos won possession high up the pitch. The striker then fired a powerful shot into the top corner to score his second goal of the match.
Brazil suffered a setback shortly after when Raphinha was forced off with an injury. The winger received treatment on the field before making way for Rayan.
The third goal arrived in first half stoppage time. Lucas Paqueta slipped a pass behind the Haiti defence and Vinicius timed his run perfectly before calmly finishing past Placide.
Brazil entered the break with a comfortable 3-0 advantage and looked on course for their first victory of the tournament after drawing with Morocco in its opening match.
