The 2026 FIFA World Cup has gotten off to a flying start on the pitch.
With the expanded tournament, it's a bigger extravaganza than ever before, and that means the Cup is more action-packed than ever. With so much happening every day, ESPN India attempts to pick out the one magical moment that defined the day's action.
For Day 9, we pick Matheus Cunha's second goal for Brazil against Haiti.
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No one hits the ball quite like Matheus Cunha when they are off-balance. At times, you even feel like Cunha hits it best when he is off-balance rather than when he's got his feet planted and body all lined up. In many ways, that quality of Cunha's is exactly what Brazil needed on Friday night.
Off-kilter and slightly confused, Brazil looked nothing like the five-time world champions that they were in their opener against Morocco... and for the opening stages of their second match against Haiti on Friday. They were ponderous for large parts, struggling to provide the balance needed to perform like tournament contenders. Even with a 1-0 lead (a scrappy Cunha opener) they didn't look anywhere near a cohesive unit, but that's when an unbalanced Cunha put up a masterclass on how to handle things when off-balance: trust yourself and let fly.
It all started in the 36th minute, with Haiti in possession. After a brief spell of passing it about, Josué Casimir was robbed by Lucas Paquetá in the Brazil half. Paquetá immediately moved it forward to Vinícius Júnior, who turned and made a beeline to the Haiti goal. As he raced forward, he noticed that Cunha was angling his run diagonally, from right to left and so Vinícius made the opposite movement, before slipping in Cunha just as he broke through the wall of white shirts in front of him.
With the angle of the ball and Cunha's run, it seemed inevitable that the Brazilian forward would have to check and start a move all over again -- but that's where the unorthodoxy of Cunha came to play. Taking one touch (that took it wider) Cunha winded up for a shot that resulted in him losing balance... but as he fell, he swung out a left boot that connected perfectly with the ball. He landed on the floor on his backside just as the ball cannoned into the roof of the net. It was a trademark Cunha hit, and one that merited the brilliant group surfer celebration that followed.
This movement, finish and imagination is why Carlo Ancelotti had picked him in the squad, and on Friday, had picked him to start up front instead of the more traditional centre-forward Igor Thiago. Despite his decent start at Manchester United, there had been doubts regarding Cunha's selection for this World Cup squad: after all, in 24 previous appearances he'd scored just once (in a 1-4 loss to Argentina in the World Cup qualifiers in March 2025). This goal, though, showed everyone exactly why he was in the team. Forget the one in 24, now he had 2 in a half. It was the first brace in a first half by a Brazilian at a World Cup match since Neymar against Cameroon in 2014.
Cunha's hit seemed to kick Brazil into high gear. About ten minutes later, Vinicius was running through on goal and making it 3-0. For that period between Cunha's goal and Vinicius', Brazil played some of the best football they've played under Carlo Ancelotti. It was a period when they embraced that most Cunha philosophy -- lean into the unorthodox and when in doubt, just put your laces through it. And so, perhaps this off-balance rocket becomes the moment that marks a transformation for Ancelotti's Brazil at the 2026 World Cup.