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What religion is Matheus Cunha?
Matheus Cunha is a Brazilian professional football player who is a devout Christian. When asked about his successful career, he explained that playing at the top level is a privilege he always dreamed of, adding that he regularly asks God for guidance. He even has a tattoo on his neck that reads “abencoado por deus,” which means “blessed by God” in Portuguese.
Matheus Cunha serves as a forward for the Premier League club Manchester United. He also plays for the Brazil national team and previously played for Sion (2017–2018), RB Leipzig (2018–2020), Hertha BSC (2020–2021), Atlético Madrid (2021–2023), Wolverhampton Wanderers (2023–2025), and Manchester United (2025–).
In the summer of 2025, Manchester United signed Cunha from Wolves for a £62.5 million fee. This big transfer broke the record for the most expensive player ever sold in Wolves’ history. Among his career achievements, Cunha won an Olympic gold medal with the Brazil under-23 team in Tokyo and earned a nomination for the prestigious 2019 FIFA Puskás Award for scoring a brilliant solo goal.
Contract & salary
In June 2025, Matheus Cunha signed a five-year contract with Manchester United that keeps him at Old Trafford until June 30, 2030. The club also holds an option to extend the deal for one more year. He earns a weekly salary of £200,000, which works out to around £10.4 million per year. This massive pay makes him one of the highest-paid players at the club, just behind Bruno Fernandes.
His wages jumped up from his previous £120,000 a week at Wolves. His contract also includes a bonus payout because Manchester United qualified for the Champions League. Over the five-year period, his total contract value can reach up to £52 million if he meets all his performance goals.
Early life
Matheus Santos Carneiro da Cunha was born on May 27, 1999, in João Pessoa, Brazil. As a child, Cunha started playing futsal on local streets and beach pitches. He and his cousin loved football so much that they nicknamed their sandy childhood pitches “Old Trafford.” Later on, he moved to Recife to continue improving his skills before earning a big trial with Brazilian club Coritiba.
Career
Cunha played for Coritiba’s youth academy before joining Swiss club Sion in 2017. At just 18 years old, he played his first full season in Europe and scored 10 goals in 29 games. His great form caught the eye of German club RB Leipzig, and he joined them on a five-year contract in mid-2018. He earned global fame in April 2019 when he scored a stunning solo goal against Bayer Leverkusen. This goal later became a finalist for the prestigious FIFA Puskás Award.
In January 2020, Cunha moved to Hertha BSC on a long-term contract. He became the team’s star forward during his time there, scoring 13 goals in 40 games. His performances earned him a €30 million transfer to Atlético Madrid in mid-2021. In early 2023, he moved to England to join Wolves on loan. The club made the transfer permanent that summer for a £44 million fee. He enjoyed a spectacular 2024–25 season where he finished as the team’s top scorer with 15 league goals. Cunha then signed a five-year contract with Manchester United in mid-2025. On 25 January 2026, he scored the winning goal in a 3–2 away win over Arsenal, securing his club’s first league win at the Emirates Stadium since December 2017.
On the international stage, Cunha started playing for Brazil’s under-23 team in early 2019. He finished as the top scorer of the 2019 Toulon Tournament to help Brazil win the trophy. He also finished as the top scorer in the South American Olympic qualifiers to secure his country’s spot. At the Tokyo Olympics, Cunha became a gold medalist and scored a crucial opening goal in the final match. In September 2020, Cunha was called up to the senior Brazil squad for 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification matches against Bolivia and Peru on 9 and 13 October 2020, respectively. In March 2025, Cunha achieved another major milestone by scoring his first senior international goal for Brazil in a match against rivals Argentina. In May 2026, he was selected for Brazil’s squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. In Brazil’s second group match on 19 June, Cunha scored twice in a 3–0 victory over Haiti.
Personal life
In May 2024, Cunha married his longtime partner, Gabriela Nogueira. Together, they have two children, a son and a baby girl. Aside from his family commitments, Matheus is a talented polyglot who speaks Portuguese, English, Spanish, and French.