World Cup 2026: How the new Brazil is shaping up and why Mathieu Cunha matters

It was very strange going into the World Cup in Brazil not knowing who our best number nine was.

Even leading up to the Scotland game, nobody knew who would be the first-choice centre-forward.

I don’t think Ancelotti knew before the tournament, because he tried Cunha, Igor Thiago, Andric, Joao Pedro and Richarlison.

Sometimes, though, injuries help a manager make decisions. You almost stumble upon a combination that works well and this time maybe helped a Brazilian.

Rafinha is an amazing player but he likes to move around a lot. In the first game, against Morocco, he played as a 10 behind Thiago and he can also play on either wing.

But, when he injured his hamstring against Morocco, he was replaced by Ryan, a player who will be on the right.

So, having Vinny on one side and Ryan on the other gives Cunha more room in his preferred areas. There he is alone, and his style of play suits him.

Things can still change, of course. Thiago gives us something different, maybe if we’re chasing play or playing someone more physical. He can stay high, fix himself at centre-half and occupy that space.

The important thing is that Ancelotti now has options and it will be interesting to see what he does next.

Back home, though, more and more people think Cunha is the answer and I hope he continues that way.

Yes, other teams will now know about him, and what he does – but he’s such a smart player, he won’t be easy to stop.