World Cup 2026: Samba style in Miami! Vinícius Jr. and Endrick shine as Brazil routs Haiti 4-0 to take control of Group C

By Temi Kings

Miami, Florida. For 22 minutes at a sweltering Hard Rock Stadium, the rhythmic drums of the Haitian diaspora drowned out the travelling Seleção faithful. Les Grenadiers were organised, physical, and daring to dream of an ultimate World Cup miracle.

But when you grant the record five-time world champions an inch of space, they will take a mile.

Unleashing a dazzling exhibition of Joga Bonito, Dorival Júnior’s Brazil emphatically kick-started their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign with a ruthless 4-0 demolition of a brave Haiti side. Following a tense 1-1 opening draw against Morocco, the South American powerhouses bounced back in style, powered by a majestic performance from Vinícius Júnior and another spectacular international goal from teenage phenom Endrick.

The definitive victory vaults Brazil to the top of Group C on goal differential, setting up a highly anticipated final group fixture where a mere draw will book their place in the Round of 32.

First Half: Vini Jr. unlocks the Haitian fortress

Haiti, under the tactical guidance of Sébastien Migné, knew they were walking into a footballing hurricane. Standing firm in a deeply recessed 5-4-1 low block, the Caribbean nation relied heavily on the heroic aerial interventions of captain Ricardo Adé and veteran goalkeeper Johny Placide to withstand an early barrage of Brazilian corner kicks.

The defining breakthrough arrived in the 22nd minute via a moment of pure individual world-class elite quality.

Lucas Paquetá picked up a pocket of space in the half-space channel and spotted Vinícius Júnior isolated on the left wing. The Real Madrid superstar drove at wingback Carlens Arcus with frightening acceleration, cut inside onto his favoured right foot, and curled an unstoppable, laser-guided effort into the far top corner. Placide flew at full stretch, but the strike was modern physics at its finest.

Group C Standings - Matchday 2 Live
1. Brazil — 4 PTS (+4 GD)
2. Morocco — 4 PTS (+1 GD)
3. Scotland — 3 PTS (0 GD)
4. Haiti — 0 PTS (-5 GD)

With the Haitian defensive blueprint shattered, Brazil began moving the ball with terrifying fluidity. In the 38th minute, the lead was doubled. Raphinha carried the ball down the right flank and whipped an incredibly precise, low cross along the corridor of uncertainty. Striking with predatory instinct, Rodrygo ghosted between two Haitian centre-backs to cleanly tap the ball home into an open net.

Dorival Júnior’s Perspective: “The first match against Morocco left us with many corrections to make, especially regarding our patience in the final third,” the Brazil manager noted in his post-match press conference. “Tonight, we saw the true identity of Brazilian football. We played with joy, we controlled the rhythm, and we respected our opponents by maintaining our high standards until the final whistle.”

Second half: Endrick caps off the carnival atmosphere

Haiti refused to roll over and nearly produced a shocking response immediately after the halftime interval. In the 49th minute, a brilliant counter-attack spearheaded by Danley Jean Jacques released Duckens Nazon clean through on goal. Nazon coolly slotted the ball past Alisson, sending the Haitian sections of the stadium into brief madness—only for the assistant referee to correctly raise the offside flag.

Sensing a need to manage player fatigue in the humid Miami climate, Dorival Júnior made a sequence of high-profile substitutions in the 62nd minute, introducing the electric 19-year-old Endrick and dynamic winger Savinho.

The young substitutes took complete control of the match. In the 71st minute, Savinho executed a dizzying sequence of stepovers before slipping a reverse pass into the box. Endrick anticipated the sequence perfectly, using his immense physical strength to shield off his marker before unleashing a vicious, near-post blast that left Placide rooted to the spot.

The icing on the cake arrived in the 83rd minute. Bruno Guimarães won a fierce midfield duel and drove directly into the heart of the Haitian defence before unlocking a perfectly weighted pass to Raphinha. The Barcelona winger took one touch to set himself and unleashed a devastating, low left-footed drive across the keeper to cap off a pristine 4-0 performance.

Match statistics & box score

Match timeline

• 22′ — ⚽ Goal: Vinícius Júnior (Assisted by Lucas Paquetá) | BRA 1 – 0 HAI

• 31′ — 🟨 Yellow Card: Bryan Alceus (Haiti)

• 38′ — ⚽ Goal: Rodrygo (Assisted by Raphinha) | BRA 2 – 0 HAI

• 55′ — 🟨 Yellow Card: Gabriel Magalhães (Brazil)

• 62′ — 🔄 Substitution: Endrick replaces Rodrygo (Brazil)

• 62′ — 🔄 Substitution: Savinho replaces Vinícius Júnior (Brazil)

• 68′ — 🔄 Substitution: Frantzdy Pierrot replaces Louicius Don Deedson (Haiti)

• 71′ — ⚽ Goal: Endrick (Assisted by Savinho) | BRA 3 – 0 HAI

• 77′ — 🔄 Substitution: André replaces João Gomes (Brazil)

• 83′ — ⚽ Goal: Raphinha (Assisted by Bruno Guimarães) | BRA 4 – 0 HAI

Starting lineups

Group C outlook: The final matchday calculus

The 4-0 victory heavily alters the dynamic of Group C heading into the final fixtures on Wednesday, June 24.

Brazil (4 points, +4 GD) currently holds the top spot ahead of Morocco (4 points, +1 GD). The Seleção will travel to Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium once more to clash with a desperate Scotland squad who sits on 3 points. Brazil requires only a solitary point to mathematically secure entry into the Round of 32, while a big win will lock up the coveted top seed.

For Haiti, their historic World Cup journey is mathematically over. However, Les Grenadiers will look to play the ultimate role of spoiler when they face Morocco in Seattle, searching for their first-ever World Cup point on American soil.