Casemiro and Matheus Cunha’s fortunes were mixed in Brazil’s latest 2-1 win over Egypt, as one is in the eye of the storm.
The World Cup preparations are going on in full swing for Brazil, with Egypt the next step and final step before the marquee tournament begins.
Casemiro and Matheus Cunha both played in the 2-1 win, and while neither stood out as much as Casemiro did in the previous game against Panama, they remained a source of stories.
One is firmly facing backlash from fans back home, while the other is emerging as a true missing piece for the side.
Which Manchester United player will have the most successful World Cup 2026?
Who are you most excited to watch?
Casemiro faces public backlash in Brazil
Casemiro wasn’t bad against Egypt by any means despite playing just 45 minutes, because Carlo Ancelotti rotated the pack to manage minutes for everyone.
For him, the backlash started before the game, when a training video of him strongly tackling Endrick went viral in Brazil.
Brazilian outlet Veja positioned Casemiro as the “villain” of the national team, saying Endrick is the “hero”, noting how Casemiro’s unnecessarily aggressive tackle put Endrick at injury risk.
Ancelotti made them walk out during the next training session side-by-side to try and calm the public backlash, but the deed was done.
In the backdrop of such developments, the Brazilian was bound to be targeted by the fans during the game against Egypt, and they did so.
Cunha, on the other hand, is getting a reputation for being the player who stitches it all together.
Brazilian press on Casemiro and Matheus Cunha
Casemiro didn’t have a bad game, but he didn’t do anything notable either, so the fans got on his back wherever they were allowed to rate him.
Name one SURPRISE signing or exit you want to see at Man Utd this summer
It could be one nobody is talking about yet… Omar Berrada says Ineos are preparing for unexpected transfers"
It resulted in GE Globo fans rating him just 3.2/10, while the outlet itself rated him a 6/10.
They wrote: “He was more involved in defensive protection than in build-up play, mainly by occupying spaces when the team struggled to transition by running backward.”
Cunha was given his flowers after a difficult game against Panama, with Globo calling him a player who makes everyone else better, rating him 6.5/10.
ESPN Brasil piled on Casemiro as well, noting his difficulty keeping up with the pace of play when it gets stretched, writing, “He still seems overwhelmed in a very offensive system that fails to properly recover possession. When exposed, he resorted to fouls.”
Cunha’s off-the-ball efforts were recognised by the outlet, but not without calling him out for “little inspiration with the ball”. He was rated 5.5/10.
Brazil’s next game is straight in the World Cup against Noussair Mazraoui’s Morocco on June 13.
Receive a digest of our best United content each week direct to your mailbox
