Whenever Matheus Cunha finds the net, be that for Manchester United or Brazil, one thing is near enough guaranteed to happen: the surfing celebration.

The forward marks his goals by crouching low and riding an imaginary wave in front of the cameras. Coming out for the first time in 2025 when playing for Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League, it’s now a routine that has become one of the more recognisable celebrations in football, and has even made it as far as the World Cup.

Behind the playful gesture, though, is a story rooted in something much more personal than most fans probably realise, tying back to where Cunha grew up and how he switches off from the pressures of football.

What is Matheus Cunha’s Surfing Celebration?

Dylan Martinez via Reuters

The celebration follows a familiar pattern every time. Cunha drops to the ground as if diving onto a surfboard, paddles briefly with both arms, then pops up to his feet and rides an imaginary wave, exactly as a surfer would when catching one out at sea.

Watch: Matheus Cunha explains his surfing celebration:

What began as a fairly simple gesture of pretending to balance on a surfboard has turned into something closer to a full performance, even if it only lasts a handful of seconds. It’s become one of the most talked-about parts of his game, regularly clipped and shared across social media every time he finds the net.

What is Matheus Cunha’s Surfing Celebration About?

Speaking about the celebration, Cunha made it clear that it isn’t just for show.

He explained that the sport is a part of his life rather than a gimmick invented for the cameras.

He’s detailed where the love of surfing comes from, growing up in Joao Pessoa in northeastern Brazil before learning to ride waves in Baia Formosa, the hometown of his close friend Italo Ferreira, the 2019 World Surf League champion and Tokyo 2020 Olympic gold medallist.

“Surfing has become a big part of my life, a way to relax,” Cunha said, adding that he follows the sport almost as closely as football itself and considers Ferreira one of his best friends.

For anyone new to football and unfamiliar with the gesture, it’s essentially Cunha bringing a piece of home onto the pitch, using surfing as both an escape from the pressures of professional sport and a way to express his personality once the ball hits the net.

It also explains why this celebration carries far more weight for him than a standard goal celebration would, given how much time he actually spends on the sport away from football, to the point where he’s even sampled it in the cold waters of Bristol.

Does Matheus Cunha Have Other Celebrations?

The surfing routine isn’t the only trick up Cunha’s sleeve, even if it’s become the one most associated with him. He’s also been known to mix in more traditional celebrations, depending on the occasion, be them solo celebrations or with teammates.

Earlier in his time with the Red Devils, Cunha experimented with a handful of other gestures, like a point to the sky, kneeslides and kisses blown in the direction of adoring fans, before settling on the surfing routine as his go-to celebration, and his teammates have got in on the act too, with multiple United and Brazil players performing it with him.

It’s now reached the point where fans actively expect to see it whenever he scores, adding extra anticipation to his goals beyond just the strike itself, regardless of the competition or occasion.

Transfer windows are important periods in the football calendar and people at every top club in the world have the relevant dates in the back of their minds at all times.

From a director of football seeking to rejuvenate the panel to a manager who needs to plug a gap mid-way through a season or an unsettled player mulling over their future with an eager agent, they are all keenly aware of the fact that transfers can only happen during very specific timeframes. Fans, too, look forward to the window with a mixture of anticipation and trepidation, while transfer news and rumours swirl mercurially through their orbit day by day.

They are technically known as transfer registration periods – basically, the windows when clubs can officially register new recruits – and they occur at two different times during a season, depending on the country. Broadly speaking, they tend to be referred to as the summer transfer window and the winter transfer window.

Here, GIVEMESPORT outlines the various upcoming summer 2026 transfer window dates for your convenience.

When the Summer 2026 Transfer Window Opens & Closes

Premier League, Ligue 1, Serie A, La Liga and Bundesliga

There is relative uniformity among the top European leagues when it comes to transfer windows, but there are variations to note, which can be seen in the table above.

England’s Premier League and the French Ligue 1 each saw their summer 2026 transfer window open on June 15, 2026, while the transfer window for Serie A clubs in Italy opens slightly later on June 29. La Liga and Bundesliga clubs will only be able to transfer players from July 1, 2026.

Despite the fact that the leagues have a number of different transfer window opening dates, they will all have to conclude their business by September 1, 2026, with windows closing for all of them at that date.

MLS and Liga MX

MLS adheres to a different calendar than its European counterparts and thus the competition is in the middle of its 2026 season and looking towards its second transfer window, which opens on July 13, 2026 and closes on September 2, 2026.

To the south, Liga MX‘s summer transfer window will open on July 2, 2026 and close on September 11, 2026. For Canadian Premier League clubs, the transfer window opens on July 17 and closes relatively early on August 20.

Saudi Pro League, Eredivisie & Select Competitions

The Saudi Pro League has been a destination for some of the biggest names in football ever since Cristiano Ronaldo signed for Al Nassr in 2023. With many clubs still boasting formidable buying power, it remains an intriguing potential destination for players seeking to boost their earnings.

This summer the Saudi Pro League’s transfer window opens on July 22 and closes on October 12 – meaning the deadline extends way beyond the one observed by most European leagues.

Dates taken from FIFA’s official transfer window calendar – correct as of 22/06/26

The 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico will be England’s 17th appearance at the tournament, and their first under Thomas Tuchel, who was appointed in February 2025 with one objective: win the World Cup.

It’s now been 60 years since England lifted the Jules Rimet Trophy on home soil in 1966, and the wait for a second major triumph has never felt more agonising than in recent years.

Gareth Southgate’s side reached the semi-finals in Russia in 2018, then went agonisingly close on two occasions at the European Championship, losing on penalties in the Euro 2020 final to Italy, and suffering a 2-1 defeat to Spain in the Euro 2024 final in Berlin.

But as always, there’s genuine belief among England fans that this could be the year. England squads tend to be packed with world-class talent, and this year is no different. But they’re now guided by an experienced Champions League-winning manager in Tuchel, which could make all the difference as they head into the tournament.

This is everything you need to know about the Three Lions’ 2026 World Cup campaign.

England World Cup 2026 Group, Fixtures & Results

Kai Pfaffenbach via Reuters

England were drawn in Group L alongside Croatia, Panama and Ghana. It is a group Tuchel’s side will be expected to win. They are comfortably the highest-ranked team and began with a big victory over Croatia, who knocked England out at the semi-final stage in 2018, meaning the demons of past disappointments have been exorcised early on.

England played Croatia in Dallas before heading to Boston to face Ghana, a side with several players who’ve graced the Premier League, including Manchester City’s Antoine Semenyo. The group concludes in New Jersey against Panama, who England thrashed 6-1 the last time they met at a World Cup in 2018.

England’s Potential Knockout Stage Path

England players via REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach

The 2026 World Cup introduces a Round of 32 for the first time, meaning England would play an extra knockout game before the familiar Round of 16. Topping Group L is crucial. If England finish first, they face one of the eight third-place sides in the Round of 32 on the 1st of July in Atlanta, then a possible clash against hosts Mexico in the early hours of the 6th of July awaits at the Estadio Azteca.

This is where it steps up a gear. On the 11th of July, Brazil could well be waiting in the quarter-finals. As much as they would have avoided the top three ranked teams, the test would be just as big if the Selecao, who knocked England out of the 2002 World Cup at this stage, are the opponents. A semi-final around the 15th of July may pit them against holders Argentina. The Three Lions have never faced Lionel Messi, and it would be the first time in over two decades that the two nations would face-off.

Then it’s on to the big one. The final takes place on the 19th of July at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. The top two seeded sides, France and Spain, conveniently sit on the other side of the bracket to England, and if their performances in the World Cup live up to their ranking, it’ll be either the side that knocked them out of the last Euros or last World Cup, that England would face in the final.

Key World Cup 2026 Knockout Stage Dates

England World Cup 2026 games on TV

All 104 matches will be shown free-to-air in the UK, split between BBC and ITV, with only a TV license required to watch them live in the UK. ITV has the Croatia and Panama matches; BBC has Ghana. Should England progress, the BBC is set to broadcast their Round of 32 and Round of 16 fixtures, with ITV taking the quarter-final and handing back over to BBC for the semi-final, with both channels simulcasting the final.

In the US, English-language coverage is on FOX and FS1, while Spanish-language viewers can watch on Telemundo and Universo, with all platforms providing streaming options in the same way BBC and ITV do.

England World Cup 2026 squad

This has been the biggest and most controversial talking point of recent weeks when it comes to the Three Lions.

Tuchel named his 26-man squad on the 22nd of May in a live event from Wembley, and it generated enormous debate. The omissions of former England regulars Phil Foden, Cole Palmer, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw were the big talking points, with Maguire posting publicly that he was “shocked and gutted.”

On the other side, captain Harry Kane will lead the squad, and Ivan Toney returned from international exile alongside a surprise inclusion for John Stones, who has played just 18 matches in all competitions this past season.

Useful World Cup 2026 links