Manchester United man solves Carlo Ancelotti’s biggest problem as Brazil arrive at the 2026 World Cup | OneFootball

Matheus Cunha has solved Carlo Ancelotti’s biggest problem after replacing Igor Thiago and scoring a World Cup brace as Brazil firmly arrived at the 2026 tournament.

Sure, it’s ‘only Haiti’, but we have already seen Spain draw 0-0 with Cape Verde and DR Congo hold Portugal to a draw at this World Cup. Nothing is a given, even if the Brazilians benefited from facing a team willing to play a much riskier game than those aforementioned minnows.

It was a marked improvement on their opening fixture against much stronger opposition in Morocco and, while it was far from perfect, Brazil will not care.

A convincing win wrapped up by half-time, a clean sheet, Scotland losing and Ancelotti seemingly solving his biggest problem made it a very good day for Brazil, who have the potential to grow into this tournament and establish themselves as genuine contenders.

The only negative was a first-half injury to Raphinha, though it may well have been a precautionary substitution with Brazil already 2-0 up at the time.

Raphinha and Vinicius Junior – who scored Brazil’s third and final goal – operated either side of Manchester United forward Cunha, who was given the nod at centre-forward after Brentford striker Thiago flopped on his World Cup debut against Morocco on matchday one.

Thiago being dropped would not have surprised anyone, and some might argue that a match against Haiti would have been the perfect opportunity to regain some confidence. But there is now little doubt that Cunha will be Ancelotti’s preferred No.9 moving forward.

And he probably should have been all along.

Brazil have had a striker problem for most of the 21st century. Thiago is Premier League proven, unlike many of their traditional No.9 options over the last two decades, but he falls into the same bracket as Fred and Pedro: good at what they do, but not exactly Brazilian.

Cunha is far from being Ronaldo, Adriano or Romario, but he is at least cut from a similar cloth. He is tricky, technical, quick and ruthless.

His first goal against Haiti was hardly Joga Bonito, but his second was magnificent, bursting through on goal and smashing the ball into the roof of the net with his weaker left foot.

There was no hat-trick for the former Wolves forward as Ancelotti gave him, and many others, a well-earned rest. That only reinforced Cunha’s status as Brazil’s starting striker for the Scotland game and, most likely, the rest of the tournament.

Endrick was even preferred off the bench to Thiago and thought he had marked his World Cup debut with a goal, only for it to be ruled out for offside.

From a dream maiden call-up in March, to a dream World Cup debut as a starter against the African champions, to being third in the striker pecking order a week later – life comes at you fast. But Brazil have a much better chance of going deep into this tournament with Cunha leading the line.

Bigger tests than Haiti await, but Brazil can only beat what’s in front of them and they did so emphatically.

Whatever doubts existed over Ancelotti’s No.9 are fading quickly. Cunha has to be the man moving forward. And Endrick should be the option off the bench.