Cunha Escapes Extra UEFA Ban After Walking Back On Following Red Card

• Matheus Cunha faces no punishment beyond an automatic one-match ban after walking back onto the pitch following his red card against Roma, per the Mirror.
• The Manchester United forward scored twice in the 3-2 Champions League comeback before picking up two yellow cards.
• Cunha misses the trip to Sporting Lisbon on 25 November and is free to face Aston Villa on Sunday.

How Michael Carrick Headed Off a Longer Ban at the Final Whistle

Matheus Cunha got away with one. The Manchester United forward was sent off in stoppage time against Roma on Tuesday night, skipped the tunnel, watched the closing minutes from an advertising board in the Stretford End and then walked back onto the Old Trafford pitch at the final whistle. The laws of the game forbid sent-off players from entering the pitch immediately after full-time. On Wednesday a UEFA spokesman confirmed Cunha will serve the automatic one-match ban and nothing more. “The UEFA official reports did not mention anything about this incident,” the spokesman said. “We are not investigating further this matter.”

The Night United Turned 0-2 Into 3-2

Cunha, 27, was the reason United had anything to protect. Roma led 2-0 by the 17th minute through Matias Soule’s strike and Donyell Malen’s penalty. After the break United won a penalty that Bruno Fernandes converted, and Cunha then scored twice. The first was a calm finish from close range to make it 2-2. The second was a near-post strike that won the game.

The celebration cost him. Cunha took his shirt off and jumped into the crowd, and was booked for it. Soon afterwards he slid in late on Leonardo Balerdi and collected a second yellow card. United played out the final minutes with ten men and ended a run of nine games without a win, the first victory in 10.

In a post-match television interview Cunha joked: “I think this is too much Brazilian, no?” He then added: “What a magic day. Of course, apart from the red card.”

The Walk Back On and the Order to Leave

The red card was only half the problem. Cunha stayed on the sideline instead of going down the tunnel, and when the final whistle sounded he stepped back onto the grass while his teammates celebrated together. United staff spotted the problem. Carrick stepped in and sent him back to the dressing room, and a visibly upset Cunha was escorted down the tunnel.

Carrick knew the risk: Cunha was in danger of adding to his one-game ban. UEFA’s official reports did not mention the moment, so the ban stays at one match.

Cunha has been here before. In March 2025, playing for Wolves, he was sent off in an FA Cup defeat to Bournemouth after clashing with Milos Kerkez in the final minute of extra time, and he had to be escorted down the tunnel. The FA charged him with acting in an improper manner. He received a one-match ban and a £50,000 fine on top of the red card. This time there is no charge and no fine.

Carrick Sticks With His Match-Winner

Carrick did not criticise his match-winner harshly. He said he was disappointed with how the night finished but that it “just shows how much he cares”. Cunha publicly backed Carrick to become permanent head coach earlier this year. Carrick said Cunha can produce moments like these, and that this is the mood he wants from him.

Carrick also explained the tactical change behind the goals. At half-time he swapped Cunha with Bryan Mbeumo to move him into the middle of the pitch and give United a different shape.

Carrick was not getting carried away. “It’s one game,” he said, and his future is still under the microscope. The pressure on Carrick has not gone away.

What Happens Next for Cunha

The ban counts only in UEFA competitions, so Cunha is available when United host Aston Villa at Old Trafford on Sunday, before the two-week international break. He will then miss the Champions League game at Sporting Lisbon on 25 November.

The Roma win lifted United to six points from four Champions League games and revived hopes of reaching the knockout stage for the first time in four years. United travel to Lisbon without the man who delivered it.