Brazil Defeat Haiti 3-0 to Lead Group C in World Cup
Brazil secured a decisive 3-0 victory over Haiti on Friday night at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, officially eliminating the Caribbean nation from the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The win allows the five-time champions to move to the top of Group C on goal difference, overtaking Morocco.
Matheus Cunha, a forward for Manchester United, led the attack with two goals. His first came in the 23rd minute when he tapped in a rebound after a shot by Vinícius Júnior was stopped by Haitian goalkeeper Johny Placide. Cunha doubled the lead thirteen minutes later, firing a left-footed strike into the top corner after receiving a pass from Vinícius Júnior.
Vinícius Júnior completed the scoring in the third minute of first-half stoppage time, sliding the ball past Placide after controlling a pass from Lucas Paqueta. The result makes Haiti the first team to be guaranteed an exit from the expanded 48-team tournament.
Despite the loss, Haiti's coach Sébastien Migné praised his team's resilience, stating, “What was positive was that we didn’t give up.” He noted that while the team showed they deserved to be at the World Cup, there was too much of a gap between them and Brazil.
Brazil's victory also marked a historic milestone, as the team surpassed Germany to become the highest-scoring nation in World Cup history with 240 goals. The match was attended by 68,324 spectators, many of whom were Brazilian supporters.
Looking ahead, Brazil is scheduled to play Scotland in Miami Gardens, Florida, on June 24. Coach Carlo Ancelotti indicated that Neymar is expected to return from a right calf injury to feature in that final group match. Haiti will play their final game of the tournament against Morocco on the same day.
