Matheus Cunha Receives Mixed Reviews Following World Cup Debut with Brazil

Matheus Cunha, a player for Manchester United, made his inaugural appearance in the World Cup on Saturday night. The Brazilian national team faced Morocco in their opening match of the tournament.

Cunha, who has represented Brazil 25 times since his debut in 2021, has found the back of the net only once, which came during World Cup qualifying against Argentina. In the match against Morocco, he began on the bench alongside new teammate Ederson but was brought on shortly after the hour mark.

While Cunha's performance was comparatively subdued, local media noted his contributions. Brazilian outlet Globo commented on the 1-1 draw, highlighting that “with the exception of Matheus Cunha’s efforts to regroup and connect the midfield to the attack, Brazil was practically ineffective from the attacking midfield.” They noted that he played on the left side rather than in a central forward role.

Globo also pointed out a noteworthy moment when Cunha delivered an excellent pass to Vinicius Junior, leading to a threatening play. They acknowledged his defensive efforts, stating he frequently fell back to help with marking.

ESPN Brazil echoed the praise, stating, “of those who came off the bench, he was the one who performed best. He moved out of the box, helped in marking, and showed enough to deserve more playing time.” Cunha and his teammates will face Haiti next, with the match scheduled for Saturday morning at 01:30 BST.