Matheus Cunha is barely through the door at Manchester United but his own comment on Antony has made his first objective at the club crystal clear.
To many, Matheus Cunha is a breath of fresh air. He’s the quintessential Sir Alex Ferguson signing who adds proven quality to the Man Utd squad while weakening a league rival.
Cunha will have a big role to play at Manchester United next season and the debut season nerves will have to be calmed quickly because of the scale of the task.
His first objective at the club is already clear as a result of his own comment regarding Antony.
Antony of Brazil during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 group G match between Brazil and Serbia at Lusail Stadium
Photo by ANP via Getty Images
Matheus Cunha’s Antony admission
To say that Man Utd have an illustrious history would be a huge understatement. United are the most followed club in English football and one of the most followed in the world.
Their history with pretty much most elite footballing nations is an auspicious one, from legendary Irishmen to favourite French players, etc.
However, when Matheus Cunha was asked who, in his opinion, is his favourite Brazilian player of all time to have played for Man Utd, it opened up a stark reality.
Cunha named Antony, his current international teammate and, at the time of writing, his club teammate as his favourite, which speaks of a dearth of options.
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He said: “[Favourite Brazilian] To play for United? Wow. [pauses]. Wow. I need to pick my friend Antony.”
For a footballing nation as iconic as Brazil, it’s a shame that Antony came to his mind first when speaking about Brazilians playing for Man Utd, and that too after looking stumped for a good few seconds.
Then you look at the list of Brazilian players to have played for Man Utd, and it’s easy to see why Cunha went with his current teammate.
Player Position Years at Man Utd
José Kléberson Midfielder 2003–2005
Anderson Midfielder 2007–2015
Rafael da Silva Defender 2008–2015
Fábio da Silva Defender 2008–2014
Rodrigo Possebon Midfielder 2008–2010
Andreas Pereira Midfielder 2012–2022
Fred Midfielder 2018–2023
Alex Telles Defender 2020–2023
Casemiro Midfielder 2022–present
Antony Winger 2022–present
Matheus Cunha Forward 2025–present
Of all the players listed above, nobody can be called an “icon” with the same certainty as, say Eric Cantona for France, let alone a “legend”.
Cunha can be a trailblazer in that regard and therein lies his first challenge at Man Utd.
Cunha can write new Brazilian history at Man Utd
There have been fan favourites from Brazil, like Fred or the Silva twins, but nobody has stood out as a talismanic figure who can attract the next generation of Brazilian youngsters to support United.
If, after 10 years, a Brazilian who signs for Man Utd can name Cunha as his favourite at United of all time, something will have gone perfectly.
Cunha is the next Brazilian superstar in terms of his profile, his productivity on the pitch, and his identity, and now he needs to translate it to Old Trafford.
It’s a shame that a country with such a rich footballing history doesn’t have an iconic link to a club with such a rich footballing history.
Cunha can build it by blazing a successful trail at Man Utd. He has unknowingly set an objective for himself at Man Utd.