Scholes Disputes Vinicius' Player of the Match Award, Names His Favorite

Brazil secured a comfortable 3-0 victory over Haiti in their second World Cup match, hosted across the USA, Mexico, and Canada. Matheus Cunha was the standout performer, netting two goals, while his teammate Vinicius Junior scored once and was controversially named Player of the Match. This decision sparked debate among analysts, with Manchester United legend Paul Scholes vocally arguing that Cunha was the more deserving recipient over the Real Madrid forward. This marks Vinicius Junior's second consecutive Player of the Match award.

“If I were Matheus Cunha in the dressing room right now, I’d be asking some serious questions. Honestly, I don’t understand why Vinicius received the award, not at all. If I were Matheus Cunha in the dressing room right now, I’d be asking some serious questions. Are you telling me a player scores two goals in a World Cup match, decides the outcome, and still walks away without the Player of the Match award? To me, that makes absolutely no sense. Don’t get me wrong, Vinicius Junior played very well tonight. He was dangerous, energetic, and caused problems throughout the game. Nobody is denying that. But football matches are decided by key moments, and the most crucial moments tonight belonged to Matheus Cunha,” Scholes argued.

“Matheus Cunha scored two goals, stepped up when Brazil needed goals, and was the player with the most direct impact on the result. For me, that’s precisely what these awards should recognize. Sometimes I feel like some players win awards because of their name, reputation, or popularity, rather than what actually happened on the pitch over ninety minutes. If the same performance had been delivered by a lesser-known player with a smaller shirt number, I don’t think we’d be having this debate. The reality is simple: Cunha scored two goals, helped Brazil secure a comfortable win, and in my opinion, was the best performer on the pitch. And I’ll say it very clearly: Vinicius Junior might have lifted the trophy, but Matheus Cunha was the true MVP,” the former England international concluded sharply.