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6 July 2026

Manchester United forward Matheus Cunha delivered an impressive performance for Brazil, but his efforts were not enough as the South American giants were knocked out of the 2026 FIFA World Cup by Norway.

Manchester City striker Erling Haaland struck twice to help Norway secure a historic victory, propelling them into the World Cup quarterfinals for the first time ever. They will now face either England or Mexico in the next round.

Brazil had an early opportunity to take the lead when Cunha earned a penalty. Vinicius Junior initially stepped up to take it but handed the responsibility to Bruno Guimaraes at the last moment.

That decision backfired as Newcastle United midfielder Guimaraes saw his effort saved by Norwegian goalkeeper Ørjan Nyland.

Norway capitalised on Brazil’s missed chance when Haaland powered in a header late in the game, before adding a second with a low strike from outside the box to make it 2-0.

Neymar, coming off the bench, converted a late penalty after Casemiro was fouled in the area, though it served only as a consolation for the Selecao, whose World Cup campaign came to an end.

Cunha featured for 58 minutes before being substituted for young striker Endrick.

The Manchester United attacker tested Nyland with a single shot that failed to significantly trouble the keeper. Cunha completed seven of his eight passes, recording an individual pass accuracy of 88%.

The 27-year-old touched the ball 23 times, drew one foul, and completed three carries during his time on the pitch.

Defensively, Cunha also contributed well, registering one interception and three clearances. He made one ball recovery and won one of his two ground duels contested.

(Statistics sourced from Sofascore)

In hindsight, coach Carlo Ancelotti may ponder whether keeping Cunha on the field would have been the better choice. Brazil’s attacking threat noticeably declined following his withdrawal, and the overall team performance dropped as a result.

The focus now turns to recovery and preparation for Cunha’s return to Manchester United duties.