EXPERT VIEW: MATHEUS CUNHA BETTER THAN CHELSEA'S £60M STRIKER
Brazil legend Roberto Carlos picks Man Utd's Matheus Cunha over Chelsea's Joao Pedro to be Brazil's main striker for the 2026 World Cup.
Brazilian legend Roberto Carlos believes Matheus Cunha has what it takes to lead Brazil in the 2026 World Cup.
Manchester United really felt Matheus Cunha's absence in their recent 1-0 loss to Everton at Old Trafford.
Ruben Amorim took responsibility for the performance, saying United lacked bite and inspiration up front, even when playing against 10 men for most of the game.
Ruben Amorim said about Matheus Cunha:
Cunha is different. He brings something special that's hard to find. He's skilled with the ball, but he also has a presence that can get into opponents' heads, which is really important.
Because Cunha was out, Amad Diallo started in the No. 10 role on the left for United, but the experiment lasted only 45 minutes before Amorim subbed him out for Mason Mount.
The good news is that Cunha's injury isn't serious, and he's expected to play a big part for both United and Brazil when he returns.
During the November international break, Cunha was in great shape for Brazil as a central striker, a position he's occasionally played for United. With Benjamin Sesko injured, he might lead the line for the Red Devils when he's back.
Roberto Carlos, who has won the World Cup and Champions League three times, knows talent when he sees it. He's backing Cunha to be Brazil's main striker over Chelsea's Joao Pedro.
When asked on The Obi-Wan Podcast who should start up front for Brazil, Carlos said, "I like Matheus Cunha." Joao Pedro is still young. Playing in Europe is good for Pedro's growth, but I think Matheus Cunha is the better player right now.
Discussing Brazil’s World Cup chances, Carlos added, “I think with Neymar playing well, Vinicius playing well.”
Rodrygo, Matheus Cunha, Richarlison, Joao Pedro, and Estevao—Brazil has a lot of players. They just need to figure out how to play without the ball.
They are talented with the ball, but they have to improve their play when they don't have it. I think Brazil is slowly getting better and can make it to the World Cup and maybe even the final, since R9 retired.
United were also interested in Joao Pedro when they signed Matheus Cunha.
Just a day after Cunha's £62.5 million transfer was announced, United showed interest in Joao Pedro as a striker option.
Chelsea ended up signing Pedro for £60 million.
Since joining Chelsea, Pedro has scored four goals in the Premier League this season. However, Cunha has been starting ahead of Pedro for Brazil, and Carlos wants that to continue at the 2026 World Cup.
INSIDE SENNE LAMMENS’ BLUEPRINT FOR MAN UNITED’S MASSIVE 2026 SUMMER TRANSFER OVERHAUL
"We want to be stronger." Read Senne Lammens' honest assessment of Manchester United’s squad needs after the Sunderland draw.
Senne Lammens isn’t hiding from the truth; he knows Manchester United have to beef up their squad this summer if they want to handle both the Premier League and Champions League next season.
Saturday’s 0-0 draw at Sunderland showed just how thin United are right now. Casemiro, Benjamin Sesko, and Manuel Ugarte all sat out with injuries, and you could feel their absence on the pitch.
It’s been a weird season for United. They played just 40 games, the fewest in over a century, because they were eliminated from Europe and both domestic cups so early. But now they’re back in the Champions League, and Lammens realises the team has to get deeper if they want to compete seriously.
“Yeah, definitely. This league’s tough, and next year’s schedule is going to be insane,” the goalkeeper said. “You want to have enough reliable players, people who can step up whenever they’re needed.”
Lammens made it clear that United must invest in new signings during the summer window. He’s not saying the squad lacks quality now, but he knows things will get tougher. “Honestly, I think we’ve got a lot of talent this year,” he said. “But next season’s going to ask a lot more from us, and you need to be ready for injuries and everything that can come with a busy year like today, when we missed a few regular starters. Being able to call on others to jump in really matters.”
He wants a strong, well-rounded group ready for the challenges ahead. “We’re already building towards that, but we want to be even stronger for next season.”
Some people wondered if United relaxed after they clinched their Champions League spot by beating Liverpool last weekend. Lammens brushed that idea off. He said head coach Michael Carrick was all over them, reminding everyone to finish the season on a high.
“I don’t think so, not for me at least,” Lammens said. “The manager made it clear that these last games are important. We want as many points as we can get and to finish as high as possible. How you end the season carries over. It’s your launchpad for next year. We want to keep the momentum going.”
He didn’t want to hear any excuses. “Honestly, if we’d played at Sunderland a few weeks ago before securing the Champions League, it still would’ve been tough. That wasn’t in our minds.”
Carrick echoed those thoughts after the match. He sounded almost annoyed when asked if the players were mentally on holiday already.
“I get almost offended by that,” he said. “The way the players prepared and battled out there, it’s clear they’re still focused. If we’d been off it, we’d have lost. Sunderland pushed us hard at times.”
He thinks the pride and responsibility of playing for Manchester United is all the motivation the team needs. “That’s what keeps us sharp, knowing we represent something big. That doesn’t guarantee we’ll always play brilliantly, but it’s enough to fight through tough days.”
MANCHESTER UNITED HOLD ADVANCED NEGOTIATIONS FOR RECORD-BREAKING £18M BETWAY SPONSORSHIP
Despite the upcoming front-of-shirt gambling ban, explore how Man United’s Betway deal targets training apparel at Carrington.
Manchester United are currently discussing a potential sponsorship deal with Betway, reportedly worth up to £18 million. This comes despite the Premier League having banned betting companies from featuring as main shirt sponsors starting from the 2026-27 season.
Back in 2023, Premier League clubs collectively agreed to remove gambling logos from the front of their shirts. From that point, no top-flight team will carry betting advertisements on their kits during matches. But this new deal would see Betway appear on United’s training gear, not their matchday shirts.
According to reports from the MEN, talks have progressed significantly. If an agreement were reached, the Betway logo would be quite visible on the training apparel worn by players at Carrington, United’s training ground. That means fans would regularly see the branding in video footage and photos taken during training sessions.
Previously, United’s training kits featured Tezos, a blockchain company, until that partnership ended in June 2025. Betway has its own history with English football; they’ve been shirt sponsors for West Ham United and maintain global gambling partnerships with several Premier League clubs, including Manchester City, Arsenal, and Brighton & Hove Albion.
The financial terms on the table for this Betway deal would be substantially close to £18 million, putting it on a similar scale to Bayern Munich’s partnership with Allianz, which includes stadium naming rights. This is quite a significant figure for a single training kit sponsor.
This season, United have gone without a sponsor on their training gear. After the Tezos contract expired, the club chose not to rush into a new agreement. They wanted to carefully evaluate potential partners, both from a financial standpoint and in terms of brand alignment.
There were even conversations with the African division of the Six Rivers Foundation, a conservation project in which United minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has invested. However, those discussions didn’t lead to a deal.
When majority owners Joel and Avram Glazer visited Carrington earlier this year, commercial revenue and sponsorship opportunities were among the key topics addressed. The club has also brought in marketing agency Two Circles, where ex-United sales manager Leo Thompson works, to help find a new sleeve sponsor, given that the current contract with DXC ends this summer.
Securing Champions League qualification for next season under Michael Carrick’s leadership has somewhat eased the process. United guaranteed their place in Europe’s top competition after a 3-2 victory over Liverpool at Old Trafford, which should make the club more attractive to potential commercial partners.
