Manchester United forward Matheus Cunha has discovered whether he will face an additional ban following his red card during Tuesday’s sensational comeback against Roma.
Heroic Cunha
Cunha scored a sensational brace in the closing stages of United’s Champions League meeting with Roma at Old Trafford, completing a rousing comeback that has earned Michael Carrick a stay of execution.
United found themselves trailing by two goals inside 17 minutes, due to strikes from Matías Soulé and Donyell Malen.
But the Red Devils were handed a lifeline at the hour mark when Cunha won a penalty, which was converted by Bruno Fernandes. After an encroachment gave him a second opportunity, the United skipper made no mistake at the second attempt.
United toiled without much reward until Cunha pounced on a missed clearance and tapped in from close range to level at 2-2. Moments later, Cunha got on the end of a sublime pass from Shea Lacey and smashed home from a tight angle to complete the turnaround for United.
The Brazilian was cautioned for his wild celebrations, which saw him rip off his shirt and dive into the home crowd. He then collected a second yellow card and his marching orders for a reckless foul in the closing stages.
Cunha came back onto the pitch after the final whistle and was clearly not pleased when Carrick ordered him to leave in order to avoid further punishment.
Instead of going down the tunnel, the United forward perched on an advertising board in the Stretford End to watch the remaining few minutes of the game. He then returned at the end to celebrate with his teammates and the fans.
About last night 💭 https://t.co/BiJPTGLybp
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) November 4, 2026
Alert to the potential issue, United staff acted, with Carrick sending him back to the dressing room to avoid any further trouble. A visibly distressed Cunha was then escorted towards the tunnel.
| Player | Season | Goals | Assists | yellow cards | red cards | suspensions (matches missed) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matheus Cunha | 2026/27 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
UEFA have confirmed Cunha will not face further punishment.
UEFA make Cunha decision
A UEFA spokesman confirmed on Wednesday, “The UEFA official reports did not mention anything about this incident.”
“Therefore the automatic one-match ban following two yellow cards should not be extended for this reason. We are not investigating further this matter.”
The Cunha incident bears similarities to a comparable episode in 2025 when he was representing Wolverhampton Wanderers.
The FA charged him with improper conduct following his sending-off in the FA Cup loss to Bournemouth, after a clash with Milos Kerkez in the final minute of extra time and an escort down the tunnel.
Cunha was later handed an additional one-match ban and fined £50,000 for his conduct.
Featured image by Carl Recine via Getty Images
1 comment
At least the UCL officials have more brains then the EPL officials.