Millions of Brazil fans (and probably the team itself) heaved a sigh of relief earlier today when the Selecao beat Haiti 3-0 in their second Group C match at the Philadelphia Stadium today. The world no. 5 team thrashing the 87th-ranked team should have been an expected result, but such has been the nature of the FIFA World Cup 2026 and Brazil’s performance so far, that it allows the fans and the players to breath easy.
After a tough 1-1 draw in the opener against sixth-ranked Morocco, the team came under fire for a lacklustre show (by its standard and reputation). Coach Carlo Ancelotti’s decision to start with centre-forward Igor Thiago instead of Matheus Cunha and Roger Ibanez instead of Danilo in the crucial righ-back position backfired. Though the second-half substitutions papered over the flaws and a point was secured from the match, the concerns remained.
The Italian manager made amends in the match against Haiti, bringing back the dynamic Cunha into the forward line and putting the experienced Danilo where he belongs. Despite another slow start, the changes helped Brazil grow into the game – unlike the static Thiago, Cunha would drop deep and link up play between midfielder Lucas Pacqueta and wingers, especially Vinicius Jr on the left. His tackle made way for the opening goal in the 23rd minute, with the Manchester United forward managing a final touch in a scramble near the Haiti goalpost after Vini’s shot was parried by Johny Placide.
The same pair was involved in the second goal in the 36th minute, Vinicius slipped a ball into Cunha’s path, who made a well-timed diagonal run and despite appearing to lose balance, managed a stinging finish with his left foot into the top corner. The provider then turned finisher in the added time of the first half to cap off a brilliant outing for him and the team. It was the first time in 24 years that Brazil had scored three goals in the first half of a World Cup match.
Though Raphinha had an off day yet again, there were flashes of his Barcelona form, with a clinical finish in the 22nd minute being ruled off-side. But, he was found wanting on the right flank, unable to thread passes or retain possession, and was largely toothless in the final third. The night turned worse for him as he had to be taken off in the 38th minute, with a suspected hamstring injury. Though Raphinha is yet to score at a World Cup or provide an assist, he is an integral part of the set-up, and Brazil would miss his pace, creativity and experience if he misses the upcoming matches. Ancelotti has a couple of replacements for him – Rayan, the Bournemouth winger he tried out today without much effect, and Luiz Henrique who has had the more off-the-bench appearances.
But, there’s a far more serious concern at the back. Though full-backs Danilo, who put up a much better show than Ibanez, and Douglas Santos were effective, they were often caught playing catch-up on the Haitian counter-attacks. The midfield duo of Casemiro and Bruno Guimaraes, too, were sluggish, and that compounded the problems for centre-backs Marquinhos and Gabriel Magalhaes. A fast-paced, heavy pressing team would make life difficult for Brazil if this continues.
With the Selecao finding their rhythm, more goals were expected in the second half. But there was no rerun of the 7-1 thrashing the Haitians were subjected to when the two teams last met in 2016. Despite Ancelotti bringing on teenage stars Rayan (a forced substitution because of Raphinha’s injury) and Endrick, Danilo Santos and Gabriel Martinelli, the intensity dipped severely in the second 45 minutes. Haiti played 5-4-1 in the first half, but Brazil used balls over the top to good effect to unsettle them. In the second half though they sacrificed a defender and shored up the midfield, which had an immediate effect as Brazil struggled to break the lines. Paqueta was a changed man on the field today, but he alone will find it difficult to dictate terms in the midfield.
With Neymar expected to finally take the field in the final group match against Scotland on June 24, Brazil would be hoping more more control and creativity in the middle.
Brazil are Group C toppers now on goal difference, but Morocco will be looking for a big win against Haiti to try and avoid a second-place finish. And the Selecao will try to do the same against Scotland and retain the top spot. The team that finishes first will play the Group F (which has Sweden, Netherlands, Japan and Tunisia) runners-up in their first knockout game in Houston on June 29. The team that finishes second will play the Group F winner in Monterrey on the same day.
Haiti were knocked out of the World Cup after two defeats.
