Report: Matheus Cunha on Life, Loyalty and Leaving Wolves on a High | OneFootball

Matheus Cunha: A Forward Reborn, A Farewell Looming

Wolves’ Brazilian Beacon of Hope

For a club often punching above its weight, Wolverhampton Wanderers have had their fair share of gifted players. But few have worn the shirt with the emotional resonance and narrative complexity of Matheus Cunha. His journey to Molineux wasn’t the culmination of a steady ascent but a defiant resurrection, highlighted by The Guardian. Signed in 2023 during Julen Lopetegui’s brief tenure, Cunha arrived with talent but burdened by disappointment — not least from a bruising spell at Atlético Madrid and a heartbreaking World Cup omission.

Now, with 13 Premier League goals to his name this season, the 25-year-old sits on the cusp of a record — potentially becoming the top-scoring Brazilian in a single English top-flight campaign. Should he net three more, he’ll overtake Roberto Firmino and Gabriel Martinelli. But beyond the statistics lies a story of personal recovery, one shaped by reflection, resilience and a rediscovery of joy in football’s most intense environment.

Emotional Rescue Under Gary O’Neil

Cunha credits Wolves with more than just tactical redemption. “Sometimes all we want in life is affection,” he says. “People think we have everything, but we’re human beings, too. We need a bit of understanding – we have our difficulties. Wolves gave me that joy back. The fans [have given] me a lot.”

Initially, there was little to suggest he’d thrive in England. Under Lopetegui, Cunha struggled to make an impression — 20 matches, just two goals, and fleeting influence. But that changed with Gary O’Neil’s appointment. The young English manager, whose tactical acumen and emotional intelligence have surprised many this season, took a different approach.

“Gary understood me completely,” Cunha reveals. “He came in and said: ‘Man, I think you’re an incredible person, but you need affection. And I’m going to give you affection. I’m going to complain when I need to complain, but I’m almost going to be family for you.’”

These weren’t empty words. O’Neil’s ability to tap into the psyche of his key forward has unlocked Cunha’s potential — not just as a poacher or creator, but as a figure Wolves have built their survival campaign around. The transformation has been as psychological as it has been tactical.

Rediscovering the Person Behind the Player

Cunha’s narrative isn’t just of professional resurgence but of deep personal introspection. His detour through elite football’s darker corridors — the bench at Atlético, the missed World Cup, the scrutiny from Brazilian media — left scars.

“I felt bad, really bad,” Cunha says. “I suffered a lot. I felt a lot not to have played the World Cup and I felt even worse because I wasn’t playing for my club.”

This low point sparked a period of internal reckoning. He began seeing a psychologist. He returned to João Pessoa. He sought solitude by the sea — not to escape, but to reconnect with the joy and identity he had begun to lose. “I needed to go to João Pessoa and stay in the furthest house possible away from everyone and in front of the sea. I needed to live it, just live it.”

There’s something profoundly human in Cunha’s candour — a rare quality in a sport that often prizes stoicism over vulnerability. His words aren’t curated soundbites but reflective thoughts from someone who has genuinely wrestled with the toll of expectation. His parents’ influence, especially, grounded him. “My father was a chemist. I remember when I was sad, he called me and said that private companies are like that… That helped me a lot to understand my football life.”

Seleção Struggles and Future Ambitions

Despite his club form, Cunha’s relationship with Brazil’s national team remains strained. He scored in a recent World Cup qualifier against Argentina — a fixture steeped in pride and pressure — but the Seleção were humbled 4-1. Criticism followed, as it always does in Brazilian football.

“I think all this criticism, all this fuss, all this feeling, both positive and negative, is because we live our national team very intensely,” Cunha said. “I cheer, argue with, cry with and celebrate.”

His Olympic gold in Tokyo remains a career highlight. But the World Cup still haunts him, and you sense it’s the last great frontier he yearns to conquer. “The World Cup is very close. I want to be part of it and, God willing, taste something very similar to Tokyo.”

Multilingual Mind, Multidimensional Man

Cunha’s curiosity sets him apart. He speaks six languages fluently — Portuguese, English, Italian, French, German and Spanish — yet chuckles at his literary shortcomings. “I’m almost illiterate when it comes to reading languages,” he says. “My method is the life. I think living is my method.”

He is, in many ways, an old soul in a modern game. A player attuned to emotion, culture and the broader meanings of his profession. This isn’t a character obsessed with stats or social media image. Cunha speaks of football as a conduit for meaning, not merely a career.

It is perhaps no surprise that he doesn’t envisage a managerial future. “I love learning, but I don’t like the football life. The football life deprives you of a lot… Maybe when I stop, I’ll be a bit calmer and can think about coaching. But I’ll need to take a few years off to rest.”

Final Chapter at Molineux?

As the 2024-25 season nears its conclusion, so too may Cunha’s time at Wolves. Offers came in January — including one from Arsenal — but he stayed out of loyalty. “I had a lot of offers but I wouldn’t feel well if I had done it,” he said. “I couldn’t leave the club in the middle of the season, in a difficult situation, in the relegation zone.”

That decision alone underscores Cunha’s ethos. Many players speak of loyalty; few act on it when the Premier League’s elite come calling. With Wolves now likely to survive, Cunha is honest about the next step: “I want to fight for titles, for big things. I have potential.”

He does, unquestionably. But what defines him isn’t just potential, it’s perspective. Cunha has been to football’s mountaintops and its valleys. And he’s emerged, at just 25, with clarity far beyond his years.

Wherever he plays next — and several clubs will come calling — Matheus Cunha will be remembered by Wolves fans not only for the goals but for the journey. He reminded them that footballers are not just performers but people. That’s worth far more than silverware.

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Excited Wolves Fan Reaction

Matheus Cunha’s story is the kind that stays with you. As a Wolves supporter, how can you not feel a sense of pride and gratitude? We didn’t just give a platform to a gifted forward — we gave him a lifeline, and he gave us everything in return.

There’s a rawness to his honesty that’s hard to ignore. You can tell how much it meant to him to rediscover joy in Wolverhampton. We’ve had flair players before — from Jota to Neves — but Cunha connected with the fans on another level. It wasn’t just about his goals; it was about his heart. You could see it in every run, every celebration, every post-match word.

His partnership with Gary O’Neil was the surprise masterstroke. Say what you like about O’Neil’s inexperience, but he ‘got’ Cunha. That’s priceless.

Will it hurt when he leaves? Massively. But no one should begrudge him a move to a Champions League club. If anything, we’ll cheer him on — he gave us everything when he could’ve walked.

Cunha’s legacy at Molineux isn’t just about stats. It’s about soul. He didn’t just play for Wolves. He felt for Wolves.