Following Morocco’s narrow 1-0 victory over Scotland, Brazil secured its place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup round of 16 with a decisive 3-0 victory over Haiti. Seeking a strong rebound after an opening-day draw against the Moroccans, Brazil manager Carlo Ancelotti tactical adjustments paid off, starting Danilo at right-back and deploying Matheus Cunha as the focal point of the attack. Conversely, Haitian manager Sébastien Migné reinforced his low block by starting defender Jean-Kevin Duverne, while leveraging Josué Casimir’s pace on transitions.
The Grenadiers’ disciplined defensive structure initially frustrated Brazil’s collective buildup, leading to an overturned Raphinha goal in the 12th minute due to an offside position. However, Brazil broke the deadlock in the 23rd minute when a Vinicius Junior strike was parried into Haitian defender Hannes Delcroix, whose emergency clearance deflected off Matheus Cunha into the net. Haiti experienced a brief positive spell but failed to capitalize on their final-third entries. They were swiftly punished in the 36th minute when Vinicius Junior assisted Cunha for his second goal of the match. Brazil completed their first-half blitz in stoppage time (45+3′) as Lucas Paqueta delivered a through ball to Vinicius Junior, who comfortably beat goalkeeper Johnny Placide with a clinical finish. During a managed second half, Alisson Becker preserved the clean sheet with a reflex save against a Ricardo Adé header. With this result, Brazil claims the top spot in Group C on goal difference, while Haiti becomes the tournament’s first official casualty.
