Haiti become first team eliminated from World Cup

The first elimination of the 2026 FIFA World Cup is confirmed. Beaten 3-0 by Brazil in Group C, Haiti became the first team mathematically out of the tournament.

At Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Brazil opened up an early lead with three first-half goals. Matheus Cunha first tapped in a rebound, then made it 2-0 with a left-footed finish from a Vinícius Júnior pass. As the half drew to a close, Vinícius Júnior added the third from a Lucas Paquetá ball. Brazil had two more goals ruled out for offside. In control after the break, the Seleção were content to manage the scoreline; Raphinha went off injured in the first half, raising a potential fitness concern for Brazil.

Haiti needed at least a point to stay alive after Morocco beat Scotland earlier in the day. With the defeat, they exited at the group stage of the World Cup they had reached for the first time since 1974. Beaten 1-0 by Scotland in their opener, the Caribbean side took no points from two games and sit bottom of Group C. Even a win over Morocco in their final match would bring at most three points, but they cannot finish third because they trail Scotland on the head-to-head tiebreaker.

For Brazil, the win meant a first three points and their most convincing display of the tournament. After a sluggish opener against Morocco, the Seleção climbed to the top of the group on four points alongside Morocco, with Scotland on three. Coach Carlo Ancelotti said they had played a complete game, especially in the first half, and controlled the match after the break.

Even so, the result was overshadowed by what was a remarkable achievement for Haiti. Unable to play their qualifiers at home because of domestic unrest, and facing entry restrictions to the United States during the tournament, Haiti had still made it back onto the world stage after 52 years. Manager Sébastien Migné said his players were trained never to give up, but that mistakes against opposition of Brazil's level were always going to be punished. Les Grenadiers will aim to at least score their first goal of the tournament against Morocco in their final game.

Image: BBC Sport