Matheus Cunha Religion

What religion is Matheus Cunha?

Matheus Cunha is a Brazilian professional football player who is a devout Christian. When Cunha was asked about how he made it in his career, he said, “For me, it’s a privilege. I always dream of being here. I’m religious and I asked God to be here.” In addition, Cunha has a tattoo on his neck that reads “abencoado por deus” which means “blessed by God.”

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 2025, Cunha signed a £62.5 million contract with Manchester United, breaking records for the most expensive outgoing player in Wolves history. Among his career achievements, Cunha won a gold medal with the Brazil under-23 team at the 2020 Summer Olympics and was among the 10 players nominated for the 2019 FIFA Puskás Award.

Contract & salary

In June 2025, Matheus Cunha signed a 5-year contract with the Premier League club Manchester United. The deal keeps him at Old Trafford until June 30, 2030. According to The Athletic, the club also holds an option to extend the contract for an additional year. The deal comes with a staggering weekly salary of £250,000. This works out to around £13 million per year and makes him one of the highest-paid players at United behind Bruno Fernandes. His salary from his previous £180,000 earnings received a bonus percentage with a return to the Champions League in 2026/27. Over the 5-year period, his contract value is worth up to £54 million when performance add-ons are fully met.

Early life

Matheus Santos Carneiro da Cunha was born on May 27, 1999, in João Pessoa, Brazil. He is of Brazilian descent. At a young age, Cunha began playing futsal on local street and beach pitches, which he and his cousin affectionately nicknamed their childhood gravel pitches “Old Trafford.” Subsequently, he spent time developing his skills in Recife before earning a trial with Santos.

Career

Cunha played for Coritiba’s youth academy, and then he became a member of Swiss club Sion in 2017. When he was 18 years old, he played his first full season in Europe, scoring 10 goals in 29 games. By mid-2018, Matheus had caught the attention of Bundesliga club RB Leipzig and joined them on a five-year deal. He earned global fame in April 2019 when he scored a stunning solo goal against Bayer Leverkusen, which later became a finalist for the prestigious FIFA Puskás Award. In January 2020, Cunha joined Hertha BSC on a long-term contract to stay in the Bundesliga. He was named the team’s standout forward during his time there, scoring 14 goals in 40 games. Cunha won a move to Atlético Madrid in mid-2021, receiving a transfer deal worth around €30 million. In early 2023, he joined Wolves on loan, a deal that became a permanent transfer in the summer of 2023 worth £44 million. He enjoyed a spectacular 2024–25 season where he finished as the team’s highest scorer with 15 league goals. He signed a five-year contract with Manchester United in mid-2025. In his first full season at Old Trafford, he reached his Premier League centurion milestone and scored 10 league goals to help lead the squad.

Cunha has also played for Brazil’s national team, and he made his under-23 debut in early 2019. He was the top scorer of the 2019 Toulon Tournament during Brazil’s championship run. Matheus then played for Brazil’s under-23 team in the 2020 CONMEBOL Pre-Olympic Tournament, finishing as the overall top scorer to secure his country’s spot. In the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, which didn’t take place until July 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Matheus became an Olympic gold medalist after scoring a crucial opening goal in the final match. He joined the senior squad in September 2021, making his official international debut as a substitute against Chile. In March 2025, Cunha achieved another major milestone by scoring his first senior international goal for Brazil during a World Cup qualifier against rival team Argentina.

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.

In addition to his football career, Cunha, in July 2024, became a celebrated figure in his hometown by receiving the Medal of João Pessoa for his extensive charity work.

Style of play

Matheus Cunha is a highly versatile, creative forward who is best described as an instinctive maverick on the pitch. His unique game combines raw Brazilian flair with explosive physical traits. He thrives when granted freedom across the front line, seamlessly operating as a central striker, a false nine, or a winger cutting inside. He excels at dropping deep into the “half-spaces” between the opponent’s midfield and defense to pick up the ball and link play.

Having grown up playing futsal, he has elite tight ball control, sharp agility, and the skills to escape defenders in incredibly crowded areas. He is a direct and powerful ball-carrier who loves to inject urgent pace into counter-attacks, destabilizing defensive lines by driving straight at them. Despite his creative flair, he possesses a great defensive work rate. He uses his aggression and stamina to make crucial interceptions and win back possession high up the pitch. In addition, he is known for an unpredictable shot technique, which helps him smash in spectacular goals from outside the penalty box.