Brazilian football player Matheus Cunha was born on May 27, 1999. He plays for Manchester United of the Premier League and the Brazil national team as a forward, offensive midfielder, or winger.
Cunha was a Coritiba youth football player in Brazil. To join the Swiss club Sion, he relocated to Europe when he was eighteen. After playing for Hertha BSC and RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga, he joined Atletico Madrid in August 2021. He moved, originally on loan, to Wolverhampton Wanderers in January 2023.
With the Brazil under-23 squad, Matheus Cunha took home a gold medal at the 2020 Summer Olympics. In September 2021, he made his debut for his country.
Early Life
The Brazilian city of João Pessoa is where Cunha was born. Before turning to football, he played futsal for a Recife team as a child.
Matheus Cunha Club Career
Sion
After making an impression on scouts at the Dallas Cup youth event, Cunha played youth football for Coritiba before signing with Swiss club Sion in July 2017 at the age of 18. He scored a hat trick in a 4-1 victory over Thun in May 2018.
RB Leipzig
He signed a five-year contract with Bundesliga team RB Leipzig on June 24, 2018. In November 2018, he scored his first Bundesliga goal in a 3-0 victory over his future team, Hertha BSC. He was nominated for the FIFA Puskás Award and earned the Bundesliga Strike of the Month award for his strike against Bayer Leverkusen in April 2019. He had six goals at the end of the 2018–19 UEFA Europa League season.
Hertha BSC
After playing 10 games, primarily as a substitute, and scoring one goal for RB Leipzig during the first half of the season, Cunha signed an undisclosed “long-term” contract with Hertha BSC, another Bundesliga team, on January 31, 2020.
Atlético Madrid
Matheus Cunha signed a five-year contract with Atletico Madrid on August 25, 2021, for an estimated €30 million. He sealed a 2–2 tie with his debut goal against Levante.
Wolves
Cunha joined Wolverhampton Wanderers on loan on January 1, 2023, for the duration of the 2022–2023 campaign. The agreement stated that the move would become permanent in the summer of 2023, provided that specific conditions in the loan agreement were fulfilled. On January 4, Cunha made his debut as a second-half replacement in a 1-1 tie with Aston Villa. On March 18, he scored his first goal for Wolves in a 4–2 loss to Leeds United at home.
On September 3, 2023, Cunha scored his first goal of the 2023–24 Premier League season during a 3–2 loss to Crystal Palace on the road. In extra time of a 3–2 Third Round replay victory over Brentford at Molineux on January 16, 2024, he scored his first FA Cup goal, a penalty. In the following round, he scored once more against Wolves’ fiercest rivals, West Bromwich Albion, in a 2-0 victory at The Hawthorns on January 28. This goal caused crowd disturbances to break out in areas of the stadium reserved for West Brom fans.
In the final game before Gary O’Neil was fired, a 2-1 home loss to Ipswich Town on December 14, Cunha seemed to give a visiting club staffer a backhand to the head before reaching to the man’s face and removing his glasses. The Football Association accused Cunha of misbehavior. Following the incident, Cunha was fined £80,000 and given a two-game suspension by the FA on December 31. Shortly after he scored in Wolves’ 2-0 victory over Aston Villa on February 1, 2025, he signed a contract extension with the team that would last until 2029.
Manchester United
Manchester United, a team in the Premier League, reached a deal with Wolves to acquire Cunha on June 1, 2025. United finalized the trade on June 12, 2025, for an estimated £62.5 million.
International Career
Youth
As the leading scorer for Brazil’s under-23 squad in the 2019 Toulon Tournament and the 2020 CONMEBOL Pre-Olympic Tournament, Cunha won the former and placed second in the latter, guaranteeing the Brazil squad’s Olympic qualifying. He was selected for Brazil’s 2020 Summer Olympics team in Tokyo on June 17, 2021. He scored three goals in five tournament appearances to help Brazil win a gold medal at the Olympics in August 2021. Cunha finished with 21 goals in 24 appearances for the under-23 squad.
Senior
Matheus Cunha was called up to the senior Brazil team in September 2020 for their 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches against Peru on October 13 and Bolivia on October 9.
On September 2, 2021, Cunha made his senior national team debut in a World Cup qualifying match against Chile, winning 1-0 on the road. In minute 78, he replaced Gabriel Barbosa.
In a 4-1 loss to Argentina on the road on March 25, 2025, he scored his first goal for Brazil.
Style of Plane
Although he can also play as a number 10, Matheus Cunha is typically used as an inside forward on the left flank, especially in front-three formations. His primary advantages are his ability to carry the ball into hazardous areas, outscore opponents in one-on-one scenarios thanks to his superb skill, speed, and acceleration, and score goals and provide assists. He is renowned for his ability to shoot from unconventional angles.
His playing is renowned for being very emotive and impulsive, albeit occasionally lacking in tactical discipline. Cunha has referred to himself as a “maverick” who values unstructured freedom. He has great defensive stats, especially in ball recoveries and interceptions, despite not being known for his effort rate.
Personal Life
Away from the field With the support of his family, Matheus Cunha keeps his home safe. He is wed to social media star Gabriela Nogueira. Cunha has been dating his partner since before he became a professional football player. At games, Gabriela is a common sight, supporting Cunha and posting heartfelt messages on Instagram to his following base.
Matheus Cunha Faith
Matheus Cunha is a Christian. Even if he doesn’t publicly acknowledge it, it’s clear from his Instagram photos that he constantly gives thanks to God for significant events in his life. In addition, a cross is permanently inked on his neck.
Matheus Cunha Net Worth
As of 2025, Matheus Cunha’s projected net worth is between $8 million and $12 million. Wages from Leipzig, Hertha Berlin, Atletico Madrid, and Wolverhampton Wanderers, in addition to bonuses, endorsement income, and investment gains, make up Matheus Cunha’s net worth.
Honours
Brazil U23
- Summer Olympics: 2020
- Toulon Tournament: 2019
Individual
- Wolverhampton Wanderers Players’ Player of the Season: 2024–25
