Matheus Cunha's Journey: From the streets of João Pessoa to Old Trafford
There is a popular saying that football is not just a sport in Brazil, it's survival. For Brazilian footballer Matheus Cunha, it wasn’t any different. Growing up, he would watch a lot of football on TV, but couldn’t watch Manchester United play as they didn’t have the channel at home to watch the Premier League.
So, Cunha and one of his cousins would go to his grandma’s house every weekend just to watch Manchester United play. His love for Manchester United began from those days, and after watching the Red Devils lift the 2008 Champions League, it became his dream club.
From then on, Cunha dreamt of playing for United.
A lot has changed at Old Trafford since. The Reds finished 15th last season and are currently in dire straits. But when the opportunity knocked at Cunha’s door, he plucked it with both hands without giving it a second thought.
On 12th June 2025, Matheus Cunha signed a five-year deal worth £62.5 million with Manchester United running until 2030.
Matheus Cunha’s childhood
The Brazilian footballer was born on 27th May 1999, in João Pessoa, Brazil. His father, Carmelo Cunha, was a former footballer turned teacher. He saw potential in his son early on and provided him with everything that he needed to excel in his career.
Cunha grew up playing Futsal and watching loads of football on TV. Legendary figures like Ronaldinho, Lukas Podolski, and Wayne Rooney were idols he looked up to. His formal football education began with local club Cabo Branco, before he moved to CT Barão.
However, the real learning began when he joined Coritiba FC at the age of 14. Cunha mastered the art of football and learned the nitty-gritty of the game. His performances helped him attract attention from various scouts in European football, and after four years, Swiss club FC Sion made contact with the striker.
Cunha takes flight to Switzerland at 18
At just 18 years of age, Matheus Cunha moved permanently to Europe, making his debut for FC Sion in the 2017-18 season. Matheus Cunha impressed one and all as a young forward, netting 10 goals along with eight assists in 29 matches across formats.
In just a year, European giants RB Leipzig came knocking at his door, and Cunha happily made his way to the Bundesliga. On 24th June 2018, he signed a five-year contract with Leipzig; however, his maiden season didn’t turn out as he would have expected. He managed just two goals in 25 league appearances. He struggled to secure playing time as he wasn’t a regular starter and ultimately made a move to Hertha BSC in January 2020.
Cunha was given more responsibility at the club and also an opportunity to showcase his football prowess. He established himself as a pivotal figure, netting 13 goals and providing five assists in 39 Bundesliga appearances. During his time at Hertha, his versatility became a talking point as Cunha played as a centre-forward, second striker, and on the wings. He consistently created chances and became a headline maker in their attack.
Cunha was thriving at Hertha, but his desire to chase greatness didn’t make him settle. He set himself for another big challenge, signing up for Atletico Madrid on August 25, 2021. Given the kind of performances he dished out in Germany, Cunha was expecting to deliver a notch higher in La Liga. But what followed was agony for the striker. Cunha wasn’t someone who would adjust to the tactical discipline that the players were used to playing at Athletic Madrid. It was a difficult period for him as he scored just six goals and eight assists in 40 appearances.
Cunha left Atletico to join Wolves in 2023
The Brazilian’s torrid run at Atletico led him to join Wolverhampton Wanderers on 1st January 2023 in the English Premier League. It was a much smaller club in comparison to Atletico Madrid, but Cunha didn’t care about that much. He knew he could do better, and he took the gamble to prove his doubters wrong. And, it turned out to be a master stroke as Matheus Cunha made heads turn with stunning outings for Wolves in the English Premier League. He scored consistently and became a fan favourite.
In his maiden season, he top-scored for Wolves, scoring 12 league goals and 2 FA cup goals. His noteworthy performances came against top sides in the club, with his most famous moment being the hat-trick scored against Chelsea in the 4-2 win in February 2024. Cunha continued to flourish at Wolves. His performances in the 2024-25 season attracted more eyeballs, and the Brazilian finished the season as the eighth-highest scorer in the Premier League goal-scoring chart. He scored 15 Premier League goals and chipped in with six assists that season.
Matheus Cunha made his dream debut for Manchester United against Arsenal at Old Trafford on Sunday.
