Brazil beats Haiti 3-0 for first World Cup win

Matheus Cunha scored a first-half brace and Vinícius Júnior added a stoppage-time goal as Brazil beat Haiti 3-0 in Group C on Friday.espn
The result eliminates Haiti, who have zero points after two matches, and lifts Brazil to four points following their opening draw with Morocco.wral
A new five-second countdown rule for restarts was enforced when Haiti’s goalkeeper delayed a goal kick, awarding Brazil a corner under 2026 tournament regulations.yahoo

Brazil Routs Haiti 3-0 in World Cup Group C Match

Brazil secured their first victory of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Friday, overwhelming Haiti 3-0 in a Group C match at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. Matheus Cunha scored twice in the first half before Vinícius Júnior added a third deep into stoppage time to give the five-time champions a commanding 3-0 lead at the break.usatoday

Cunha’s Brace Sets the Tone

Cunha opened the scoring in the 23rd minute with what was described as a scrappy deflected effort before doubling Brazil’s advantage in the 36th minute to claim his first World Cup brace. Vinícius Júnior, who also scored in Brazil’s opening 1-1 draw against Morocco, then struck in the third minute of first-half stoppage time with a right-footed shot from the left side of the box to make it 3-0.espn

The result was Brazil’s first win under Carlo Ancelotti in the tournament after the team managed only a draw in their Group C opener against Morocco. For Haiti, the defeat — combined with their 1-0 loss to Scotland in their first match — leaves them eliminated from the competition with zero points after two games.nytimes

New Rules on Display

The match provided an early showcase of the 2026 World Cup’s new Laws of the Game. Referee Alejandro Hernández enforced the five-second countdown rule for restarts, awarding Brazil a corner kick after Haiti goalkeeper Johny Placide delayed a goal kick beyond the allotted time. Under the new regulations approved by the International Football Association Board, if a goal kick is not taken within five seconds of the referee initiating the countdown, the opposing team receives a corner.reddit

The rule is one of several anti-time-wasting measures introduced for this tournament, which also include a five-second limit on throw-ins and an eight-second limit for goalkeepers holding the ball during open play.yahoo

Group C Picture

With the win, Brazil moved to four points in Group C and strengthened their path toward the knockout rounds of the expanded 48-team tournament. Scotland and Morocco, who played earlier Friday in the group’s other fixture, will also factor into the final standings heading into the last round of matches.reuters