Brazil forward Matheus Cunha was slammed on social media for insulting gesture at a Japan player after his team's victory in the Round of 32.

Brazil and Manchester United forward Matheus Cunha has received severe backlash on social media for a "disrespectful" gesture directed at Japan's Kento Shiogai. The incident was captured by television cameras during injury time, moments after Brazil scored a dramatic late winner against Japan to secure their place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16. As the Selecao secured victory following an absolute thriller against Japan, Cunha was seen pointing to the Brazilian crest on his shirt whilst holding up an open hand.The gesture from the forward was seemingly a direct response to Japan's Shiogai, who had previously claimed that "Brazil is no longer a football powerhouse."

Following the match, Cunha shared multiple stories on Instagram to justify his actions on the pitch. He also explained his motivation when questioned by the media in the mixed zone.

"With all due respect, to have a Japanese player saying that about such a victorious Brazilian national team-man, if it is a Brazilian talking about Brazilians, we might even accept it. But coming from outsiders, I think we stand together against anyone. So, it is more about what this shirt represents, who has worn this shirt before us, and everything we went through to be wearing it today."

In his series of Instagram stories, Cunha shared pictures of his team's victory over Japan whilst directly targeting Shiogai.

"Now you know a bit more about us," he wrote in one post, followed by, "Neither superior nor inferior to anyone" in another. He capped off one of the posts with a Brazilian flag emoji set to Kendrick Lamar's song, Humble.

Despite the social media storm, a contrasting side of Cunha was also visible on the pitch. The Brazilian forward was spotted breaking away from his teammates' wild celebrations to console a devastated Ao Tanaka. The Japanese midfielder had broken down in tears at the final whistle, inconsolable after his team's painful elimination from the tournament.Brazil's match-winner on the day was Arsenal's Gabriel Martinelli. The winger's inclusion in the final World Cup squad had previously been heavily debated following a patchy 2025/26 Premier League campaign.