
9 days · 11 summary articles
Brazil’s 3-0 victory over Haiti on Friday night sent shockwaves through the expanded 48-team World Cup, as Carlo Ancelotti’s side became the first team to break the 100-goal barrier in tournament history. Manchester United forward Matheus Cunha, deployed as a false nine, scored twice in the first half as Brazil moved within one point of topping Group E with a game in hand.
The rout at AT&T Stadium in Dallas—where Raphinha was withdrawn early with a hamstring strain—was Brazil’s biggest margin of victory at a World Cup since the 7-1 demolition of Germany in 2014, and the first time any nation has reached triple figures in goals scored across a single edition. Ancelotti, who replaced Vinícius Júnior with Cunha at half-time in Manchester’s recent Premier League finale, said the change was designed to “relieve pressure on the full-backs and create overloads.” The tactical shift paid immediate dividends: Cunha’s first came after just 12 minutes when he ghosted in behind Haiti’s high line to finish clinically past goalkeeper Frantzdy Pierrot.
Across the Atlantic, the United States secured their place in the knockout rounds with a 2-0 win over Paraguay in Kansas City, meaning Gregg Berhalter’s side top Group D and face either Scotland or Morocco in the last 32. American outlets described the improbable run as “far from far-fetched,” with Fox Sports declaring the hosts “beginning to believe” in a first-ever World Cup triumph.
Germany, meanwhile, continued their emphatic start with a 7-1 thrashing of Curaçao in Toronto, a result that prompted Aftenposten to ask whether Joachim Löw’s successors could now be taken seriously. Manuel Neuer, making his first start since rupturing his ACL in 2024, told reporters he had “never felt fitter.” The Mannschaft now face Ivory Coast in a Group B clash that could decide who tops the section.
Sweden’s 2-0 defeat of Tunisia in Arlington was overshadowed by Zlatan Ibrahimović’s absence—he chose to attend Donald Trump’s 80th birthday party in Palm Beach instead of the match. The Swedish tabloid *Aftonbladet* ran the headline “Who is surprised by Zlatan’s betrayal?” before conceding the decision was “perfectly normal in football’s world.”
As the group stage enters its final weekend, the early narratives are clear: Brazil’s attacking renaissance, the hosts’ quiet confidence, and Germany’s re-emergence as genuine contenders. With 48 teams now competing, the margin for error has narrowed dramatically; every point counts, and the knockout draw looms large.
1 further source not geolocated