Manchester United forward Matheus Cunha has admitted he was fully aware of the doubts surrounding a move to Old Trafford, but insists he always saw the club as a giant waiting to wake up.
Speaking in a relaxed interview with Cazé TV, the Brazilian reflected on his decision to join Manchester United at a time when many questioned the direction of the club.
During the conversation, the interviewer suggested that United had become a difficult place for players to come, even joking that the environment could “rot anyone”.
Cunha admitted those comments were not completely unfamiliar to him.
“Saying it didn’t cross my mind would be a lie,” he said. “But Manchester United already marked me a lot. I just thank God for the opportunity.”
However, he stressed that his personality does not allow him to dwell on negativity. Casemiro reportedly helped him a lot.
“I’m very decisive with my decisions,” Cunha explained. “At no moment do I think about that extremely negative side. For me it’s this absurdly big club we always talk about. It was a giant that was sleeping and we’re going to wake up.”
The Brazilian also spoke about a different challenge he has faced during his career – recognition back home compared to life in Europe.
“I left Brazil very young,” he said. “When we go to the national team sometimes you feel a bit lost. In Europe, especially in England, people recognise you a lot. They shout ‘Cunha, Cunha’. In Brazil it can be different.”
He said that contrast can create mixed feelings.
“Of course sometimes it gives you a little frustration. You think: ‘I do so many things and it’s not always that clear.’ But I understand Brazilian fans completely.”
Matheus Cunha returning to his natural position
Cunha also used the interview to explain how his role on the pitch evolved over the years. Although many supporters see him primarily as a striker today, he insists that was never his original position.
“In Brazil I was always a midfielder,” he said, recalling his time at youth level. “In my whole time there, I played as a number ten.”
A sudden growth spurt changed that trajectory.
“There came a moment when I was too skinny and then I grew a lot,” Cunha recalled. “I stretched out and suddenly everyone said: ‘You’re too big now, go play up front.’”
The move worked immediately.
“I started scoring goals there and it just kept going. In Switzerland [FC Sion] they told me to play as a striker and I scored ten goals in three months.”
From there, the label stuck.
“Pre-Olympic team, striker. Olympic team, Olympic champion, striker. Atletico Madrid, striker. People forgot.”
Because of that path, Cunha laughs when people say he has recently become a midfielder again.
“When people say ‘Matheus became a midfielder’, it’s funny to me. I didn’t become one – I went back to where I always was.”
That experience, he believes, made him a better player.
“It helped me understand other positions and the game as a whole. Today I feel like a much more complete and versatile player because of that.”
Curiosity beyond Manchester United and football
Matheus Cunha
The interview also revealed a different side of Cunha away from the pitch. The Brazilian described himself as naturally curious and eager to learn. At one stage, he even studied law.
“I learn things very quickly,” he said. “I even went to law school!”
Languages are another passion. Cunha says his curiosity often leads him to explore how words relate to each other. His family played an important role in shaping that mindset.
“My aunt was a Portuguese teacher, and my parents were always very close to me. They always taught me that you have to learn and go through things in life.”
That curiosity now feeds into plans for a personal project. Cunha revealed he is close to launching his own institute, aimed at helping young people access education.
“I’m close to opening the institute now,” he said. “So I go and talk to people who already have institutes and ask what the best projects are.”
One of the ideas already on the table involves language education.
“I speak languages, so I’m thinking how we can contact language schools and maybe make them partners of the institute,” Cunha explained. “That way young people can learn better than I did.”
For Manchester United supporters, the conversation offered a broader picture of the Brazilian forward.
Behind the goals and headlines, Cunha sees both his career and the club he joined through a longer lens – one built on curiosity, perspective and the belief that even sleeping giants can wake up.