标签： South America

Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field echoed with echoes of Brazil’s storied football legacy on matchday, as thousands of the Selecao’s yellow-clad supporters packed the stands – with 2002 World Cup winner Ronaldinho in attendance and fans waving replica golden trophies in celebration of Brazil’s decades-long dominance on the global stage. What unfolded on the pitch was a dominant first half that quickly turned into a worrying second-half slump, leaving fans and analysts alike still waiting for the reigning five-time world champions to hit their stride at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

By the 45-minute mark, Brazil had already put the game out of Haiti’s reach. Matheus Cunha bagged a first-half brace, and Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr added a polished third finish to send the underdog Caribbean side into a 3-0 halftime deficit. For the neutral observer, the result looked like the kind of statement victory everyone expected from Brazil against a Haiti side ranked more than 80 places lower in the FIFA global rankings. But the second half told a far different story.

After the break, Brazil failed to register a single shot on target, while Haiti – the first team officially eliminated from the 2026 tournament following this defeat – outshot Brazil by seven attempts to two. This lull extended a worrying trend for the Selecao, who kicked off their Group C campaign with an underwhelming 1-1 draw against Morocco in New Jersey. While the result gives Brazil four points from two opening matches, putting them on track to advance to the round of 32, the team’s fading performance after a bright start has left many questioning when the full potential of the five-time champions will finally emerge. Notably, this match also entered the World Cup record books for an underwhelming stat: Brazil’s eight total shots marked the joint-fourth fewest by any team that has scored three or more goals in a World Cup fixture since 1966. Statistical aside, the result also cemented another piece of Brazilian history: this marked the 41st time the Selecao have scored three or more goals in a World Cup match, five more than any other nation in tournament history. They also surpassed a Germany squad that includes the record of former West Germany to claim the title of the highest-scoring team in World Cup history, now boasting 247 total goals against Germany’s 239.

Tens of thousands of Brazil supporters flooded the city of Philadelphia, turning major city landmarks into impromptu fan festivals even before kickoff, with thousands of ticketless fans traveling hundreds of miles to pack local bars and watch the match alongside their fellow supporters. It fell to head coach Carlo Ancelotti, appointed in May 2025 to end Brazil’s decades-long wait for a sixth world title, to defend his team’s performance in his post-match press conference.

Asked to assess where Brazil fell short after the flat second half, Ancelotti struck a defiant, measured tone. “We were much better in the first half. In the second half, they had a little bit more control, but we had opportunities to score more goals. All in all it was a good match,” the Italian manager said. Pressed on whether match-winner Cunha, on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers to Manchester United, would retain his starting center-forward role for Brazil’s upcoming final group stage match against Scotland in Miami next Wednesday, Ancelotti remained noncommittal. “It can be an option. We discussed this yesterday. I don’t want a fixed starting identity. Maybe we will change this for the next match,” he added, noting that Cunha’s movement in the front line created consistent problems for Haiti’s defense and that his passing link-up was particularly effective.

The biggest off-pitch news to come out of Ancelotti’s press conference surrounded the availability of Brazilian legend Neymar, the nation’s all-time leading men’s goalscorer with 79 international goals. Ancelotti sparked surprise earlier in the tournament when he included 34-year-old Neymar in his 26-man squad ahead of Chelsea’s Joao Pedro, despite Neymar not playing for Brazil since October 2023 and continuing to recover from a persistent calf injury that kept him from even traveling to Philadelphia for the Haiti match. Ancelotti confirmed after the 3-0 win that Neymar will be fit to feature against Scotland: “Yes, he will be training tomorrow individually and then on Monday with the team. He will be available for Scotland.”

Neymar’s inclusion has split football opinion across the continent. European football expert James Horncastle argued that Ancelotti’s proven track record of uniting star-studded squads could make Neymar’s inclusion a success, telling the Euro Leagues Podcast: “This is a player that is hard to mark out of the game, just by the way he plays, he draws defenders in. I back Carlo to make this work because one of his superpowers is his ability to create a cohesive group out of superstars and get everyone on the same page.” But French football expert Julien Laurens argued that Neymar does not deserve his spot, citing underwhelming recent club form and controversy over off-pitch behavior – including a May incident where Neymar apologized for slapping 18-year-old Santos teammate Robinho Jr during a training session. “I don’t really think he deserves to be there on the recent performances that he has had and his behaviour and attitude on and off the pitch,” Laurens said.

The win did come at a cost for Brazil: Raphinha, the team’s top scorer in World Cup qualifying with five goals, was forced off the pitch with an injury in the 40th minute, with Ancelotti confirming that further tests on Monday will reveal the full extent of the issue. One bright spot for Brazilian fans came in the second half, when 19-year-old breakout star Endrick made his first World Cup appearance, coming on as a substitute for Cunha in the 64th minute. Endrick, who will join Real Madrid from Palmeiras this summer, received a standing ovation from the Brazilian crowd when he entered the pitch, becoming the seventh-youngest player to ever represent Brazil at a men’s World Cup. His evening ended with a disallowed goal and just eight touches during his time on the pitch, as Brazil’s attack stalled in the second half.

Looking ahead to the match against Scotland, Ancelotti said his focus is solely on improving performance and securing a first-place finish in Group C, rather than simply eliminating the European side. “If we can reach the first position of the group, that would be important for the future. So we want to prepare well for that match. Scotland can create problems – they created problems to Morocco – and so we have to focus on the match, stay calm and keep on working to improve,” he said.

PHILADELPHIA — In a dominant World Cup Group C clash at Lincoln Financial Field on Friday night, five-time tournament winners Brazil secured their place in the knockout stage with a comfortable 3-0 victory over debutant underdogs Haiti, eliminating the Caribbean side from competition. This result pulls Brazil back on track after an underwhelming opening draw against Morocco, silencing early criticism of the side’s slow start to the campaign.

Haiti, the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere, was making its first World Cup appearance since 1974. With two defeats from two matches, they became the first team confirmed to exit the tournament before the group stage concludes. For Brazil, known globally as the Seleção, the convincing win delivered exactly the statement performance the squad needed to rebuild momentum heading into their final group fixture.

The night belonged to Matheus Cunha, the Manchester United attacker who got a rare starting opportunity after being only a late substitute in Brazil’s lifeless 1-1 opening match against Morocco. Cunha seized his chance, netting two goals and proving why many had argued he deserved a place in the starting XI from the tournament’s opening game.

Playing in front of a sold-out crowd of 68,324 spectators, the vast majority of whom were clad in Brazil’s iconic yellow kit, Cunha opened his senior World Cup scoring account in the first half when he tapped in a rebound after Vinícius Júnior’s initial shot was stopped by Haitian goalkeeper Johny Placide. He doubled his tally and Brazil’s lead shortly after, curling a clinical left-footed strike into the top-left corner that Placide had no hope of stopping. After each goal, the forward repeated his viral surfing goal celebration, sliding across the turf to mimic catching a wave, much to the delight of the passionate Brazilian fanbase in attendance.

An early goal from Brazilian winger Raphinha was ruled out for offside in the opening minutes, but the momentary setback did little to dampen the festive atmosphere inside the home of the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles, where Eagles cheerleaders even joined in to energize the crowd. Haitian supporters did not let the scoreline kill their spirit, singing their national team’s traditional battle cry *“Grenadye Alaso”* (“Grenadiers to the Attack”) throughout the 90 minutes, while Brazilian fans chanted back in celebration of their nation’s soccer legacy, repeating refrains honoring Pelé, Brazil’s legendary “king of soccer” who holds the record for most goals in World Cup history.

Philadelphia, which is home to nearly 6,000 Brazilian immigrants, embraced the match, and local fans even opted against following the local tradition of dressing the iconic Rocky Statue in Brazil team gear, an old superstition that dressing the statue in a side’s kit brings bad luck. Their choice did not disappoint the Seleção.

Vinícius Júnior, who had scored Brazil’s equalizer in the Morocco draw, capped off the first-half scoring with a goal of his own, rounding off a dominant 45 minutes for the South American side. The Real Madrid star was the creative engine for Brazil all night, first creating Cunha’s opening goal from his blocked shot before playing a perfectly weighted through pass between Haitian defenders to set up Cunha’s second. By halftime, the 3-0 scoreline was already locked in, and no further goals changed the outcome in the second half.

Brazil, which is chasing its first World Cup title since 2002, will close out Group C play against Scotland next Wednesday in Miami Gardens, Florida. Star forward Neymar remained sidelined for a second consecutive match, still recovering from a persistent calf injury that has kept him out of action since the opening fixture.

SEATTLE — When star forward Christian Pulisic was ruled out of Friday’s must-win World Cup group stage match against Australia with a calf injury, many expected the United States men’s national team to stumble. But in a display of squad depth that signals how far the program has come, the Americans picked up a dominant 2-0 win, clinched their spot in the expanded 48-team tournament’s knockout round, and secured first place in Group D.

The victory marked the Americans’ second consecutive win in group play, a first for the US program at a men’s World Cup since 1930. Later the same day in Santa Clara, California, Paraguay’s 1-0 win over Turkey locked in the US’s position atop the four-team group. Pulisic, the AC Milan forward who has notched 33 goals across 87 senior international caps, was sidelined by the soft tissue injury, a blow that would have derailed past US World Cup sides.

But this year’s squad is built for depth, and rising stars stepped up to fill the gap left by Pulisic’s absence. Folarin Balogun, who bagged a brace in the team’s opening 4-1 win over Paraguay on June 12, highlighted the team’s collective strength after the final whistle.

“C.P. is a fantastic player — the quality and the leadership that he gives us,” Balogun said. “We didn’t have him today, but I think you saw we’re still capable to go out there and get a result and put up a performance.”

The US got off to a flying start in the 11th minute, when Balogun made a threatening run down the left flank and played a cross toward Ricardo Pepi, who got the starting nod in place of Pulisic. The ball never reached the striker, instead deflecting off Australia defender Cameron Burgess and sliding into the back of the net for an own goal that put the US ahead early.

“I want to be dangerous, I want to create opportunities,” Balogun said of the play. “It might not always be myself that scores, but if I can force an error that gives us the lead, then for me it’s like a goal as well. It was a special start to the game to give us the momentum.”

The Americans doubled their lead in the 43rd minute from a set piece, when 21-year-old Alex Freeman — the youngest player on the squad, and son of former NFL Super Bowl champion wide receiver Antonio Freeman — nodded home a deflected shot from Sergiño Dest to score his first career World Cup goal. The goal was confirmed after a lengthy video assistant referee review.

Head coach Mauricio Pochettino praised the young winger’s rapid development and professional attitude after the match. “(He) is doing a fantastic job,” Pochettino said. “The evolution is massive. He’s so humble. He wants to learn. He always listens. He’s a player that you really enjoy being with him. Not only coaching, but being with him.”

The US failed to add to their lead in the second half, but their dominant first-half performance left a lasting impression on Australia head coach Tony Popovic, who said the result was no surprise given the Americans’ clear quality.

“It did not surprise us because their quality is clear,” Popovic said. “Their power is clear. Their athleticism is clear. They are not surprising in what they did.”

Heading into the knockout round, the US will face a third-place group finisher in their round of 32 match on July 1 in Santa Clara. With six goals through two group games — just one goal short of the program’s all-time record for a single World Cup — the team’s momentum is building, and expectations for a deep run are growing. But Pochettino said the strong start has not changed his outlook on what his squad can achieve.

“I think it’s much better when you show good performances and win the games,” Pochettino said. “I think that makes it easier, everything. But, at the same time, it’s (important) to keep believing.”

For Freeman, the team’s ability to overcome Pulisic’s absence is proof that the roster has the talent and depth to compete with any side in the tournament. “We know how vital Christian is to the team and how much he can contribute in the game,” Freeman said. “For us it was, we have Ricardo Pepi, who came in and had an amazing game. I think that just shows how (good) our roster is.”

TAMPA, Florida — For 40-year-old Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha, the 2024 FIFA World Cup has already delivered far more than he ever could have dreamed. Fresh off a man-of-the-match performance in his nation’s historic goalless draw against Spain that turned the veteran shot-stopper into a global social media sensation, he will step onto the pitch Sunday against Uruguay with his entire immediate family in the stands, a happy resolution to early visa complications that once threatened to keep his mother away.

Born Josimar José Évora Dias, Vozinha earned global acclaim for his tenacious defensive display against European powerhouse Spain, a result that made Cape Verde the only debuting nation at this year’s tournament to avoid an opening-match defeat. The unexpected point has sparked wild celebrations among Cape Verdean fans at home and across the diaspora in the United States, with Vozinha’s standout play turning him into the face of the underdog nation’s historic World Cup run.

Speaking to reporters ahead of Thursday’s training session at Cape Verde’s Tampa training base, Vozinha called the presence of his family one of the most meaningful parts of his first World Cup experience. His father Jose Pedro Dias and brother Delmiro Évora Nascimento, a professional footballer himself, have already joined him in Florida, and his mother — who initially faced bureaucratic hurdles securing a U.S. travel visa — is confirmed to arrive before kickoff against Uruguay.

“They always support me in everything I do, so having my mother here is something special,” Vozinha said. “My father is here too, and my brother as well, so I’m very happy.”

Vozinha’s name carries its own World Cup legacy: his father told reporters he named his son after Josimar, the star Brazilian right-back who netted two goals and became a breakout star at the 1986 Mexico World Cup. “I watched the matches and fell in love with the Brazilian national team,” Dias explained. “There were a few players who stood out; one of them was Josimar, a right-back, who scored two goals and really made his mark at that World Cup.”

Like thousands of Cape Verdean supporters who have traveled to the U.S. for the tournament, Dias said he is overcome with pride to see his son and his nation compete on soccer’s biggest stage. This marks Cape Verde’s first ever qualification for the World Cup, a milestone that once seemed unthinkable for the small archipelago nation of just 500,000 people off the west coast of Africa.

“As a father, I feel immense pride. All Cape Verdeans right now feel proud to be Cape Verdean and of Cape Verde’s current performance; it’s something we could never have imagined would be possible,” he said.

Vozinha’s brother echoed that sentiment, calling the moment a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the entire team. “I’ve no words to describe this moment,” he said. “We just have to live it because it’s a once-in-a-lifetime moment for a professional footballer – to be at the World Cup, to play against Spain, to put in the performance he did.”

Outside the Tampa training ground on Thursday, caravans of supporters packed into RVs, all dressed in the royal blue of Cape Verde’s flag and decked out in team merchandise, gathered to cheer on the team. For many of the fans in attendance, like Benjamin Ferrera, a Cape Verde-born resident of Massachusetts — home to the largest Cape Verdean diaspora community in the U.S., often nicknamed the nation’s “11th island” — the draw against Spain already feels like a win.

Ferrera, who works on the security team at Foxborough’s Gillette Stadium, one of this tournament’s host venues, said growing up he constantly heard that Cape Verde would never reach a World Cup. Today, that narrative has been completely upended.

“I don’t have words for it, because nobody expected it. We are just 500,000 people on small islands. To be on this type of stage with the world watching us is just magnificent,” he said. “When I grew up, I always heard that Cape Verde doesn’t have football, that we would never make a World Cup. Today I’m proud to say we’re here and we are going to make history.”

Andreia Levy, an organizer for the Cape Verde supporters’ group 12 Sharks, said the historic opening result felt preordained. “Of course, I trusted the guys,” she said. “We knew that it was possible to do something here.”

Even as the 2026 FIFA World Cup group stage continues to unfold, one of soccer’s biggest global names will be forced to watch from the sidelines for Brazil’s second matchup. The Brazilian Football Confederation announced Thursday that star forward Neymar will not travel with the national squad to Philadelphia for Friday’s Group C clash against Haiti, sidelined by a persistent right calf injury that has derailed his tournament preparations.

Instead of joining the team for match week preparations, the 34-year-old Santos attacker will remain in the team’s New Jersey training base to complete the final stage of his rehabilitation. Per an official statement from the confederation, the decision to keep Neymar behind is designed to optimize his recovery timeline, with the player set to continue guided treatment and low-intensity exercise from the dedicated facilities at the team’s hotel.

Neymar’s road to this World Cup has been marked by uncertainty from the start. He originally sustained the calf injury during a club match with Santos on May 17, and has only gradually ramped up his activity since joining up with the Brazilian squad ahead of the tournament. He made his first return to the training pitch on Tuesday, completing individual physical conditioning drills, and joined a portion of full team sessions on Wednesday, where he received a warm round of applause from teammates when he stepped onto the field. Even so, he has not yet participated in a full 90-minute training session with the full squad, prompting medical staff to advise against his inclusion for Friday’s match.

Heading into his fourth World Cup appearance, Neymar underwent extensive medical testing on Monday to assess how far his injury had healed, with results confirming he was not yet match-fit. The news comes after Brazil kicked off their Group C campaign with a 1-1 draw against Morocco on Saturday, leaving the five-time World Cup winners in need of three points to solidify their position in the knockout stage race.

Neymar’s inclusion in the 26-man squad by head coach Carlo Ancelotti has already sparked widespread public and media debate across Brazil, with critics questioning whether it was wise to call up a player recovering from a long-term injury so close to the start of the tournament. For now, all attention remains on how quickly Neymar can progress through his recovery, with fans across the country holding out hope he will be fit to feature in later stages of the tournament.