Vinícius Júnior facts for kids

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Vinícius Júnior

Vinícius in 2021
Personal information
Date of birth	(2000-07-12) 12 July 2000 (age 24)
Place of birth	São Gonçalo, Brazil
Height	1.76 m
Playing position	Left winger, forward
Club information
Current club	Real Madrid
Number	7
Youth career
2006–2017	Flamengo
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2017–2018	Flamengo	50	(11)
2018–	Real Madrid	183	(52)
2018	Real Madrid B	5	(4)
National team‡
2015–2016	Brazil U15	10	(7)
2016–2017	Brazil U17	19	(17)
2018–2019	Brazil U20	4	(0)
2019–	Brazil	35	(5)
Honours Men's football Representing  Brazil Copa América Runner-up 2021 Brazil South American U-17 Championship Winner 2017 Chile South American U-15 Championship Winner 2015 Colombia
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 21:02, 24 September 2024 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 23:03, 10 September 2024 (UTC)

Vinícius José Paixão de Oliveira Júnior ( born 12 July 2000), commonly known as Vinícius Júnior or Vini Jr., is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a left winger or forward for La Liga club Real Madrid and the Brazil national team. Considered one of the best players in the world, he is known for his pace and dribbling ability.

Born in São Gonçalo, Vinícius began his professional career at Flamengo, where he made his senior debut in 2017, at age 16. A few weeks later, Vinícius was the subject of a transfer to La Liga club Real Madrid, for whom he signed in a £38 million deal, which was a national record for an U-18 player. The transfer was made effective after his 18th birthday, with Vinícius debuting for the club in 2018–19. Over the following seasons, Vinícius established himself as a prominent member in Real Madrid's squad, helping the club win two La Liga–Champions League doubles, scoring the winning goal in the 2022 and 2024 finals, being named the tournament's Player of the Season in 2024.

At his youth stage for Brazil, Vinícius was a key player in the victory at the 2015 South American U-15 Championship and 2017 South American U-17 Championship, finishing as leading goalscorer in the latter competition. He made his senior debut in 2021 and helped his nation to a runner-up finish at the 2021 Copa América, also representing Brazil at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and the 2024 Copa América in the United States.

Club career

Early career

His footballing career began in 2006, when his father took him to the branch offices of Flamengo, in the neighborhood of Mutuá, in São Gonçalo where he lived. His club document described him as a left-back.

Hailing from a poor Catholic family, Vinícius went to live in Abolição with his uncle, Ulisses, to shorten the distance to Ninho do Urubu (the "Vultures' Nest"). He started to receive financial aid from Flamengo as well as aid from entrepreneurs.

Between 2007 and 2010, Vinícius attended futsal classes at Flamengo's school in São Gonçalo at the Canto do Rio, a famous club located in the centre of Niterói. Flamengo noted his potential and he decided he wanted to play football, not futsal. In August 2010, Vinícius had a trial to play for the Flamengo youth team, and he accepted an invitation to play for their football team. Before, in 2009, when Vinícius was nine, he took a futsal trial for Flamengo, he was asked to come back the following year.

Flamengo

Vinícius playing for Flamengo in 2018

Vinícius debuted for Flamengo on 13 May 2017 as an 82nd-minute substitute in a Brazilian Série A 1–1 draw against Atlético Mineiro. Two days later he extended his contract with the club from 2019 until 2022, with a significant salary increase and a buyout clause increase from €30 million to €45 million. This contract renewal was reported as being part of the transfer process of Vinícius to Real Madrid, an agreement reached between the two clubs in Gávea that week with an obligation to sell the young player in July 2018.

On 10 August 2017, Vinícius scored the first professional goal of his career in a Copa Sudamericana second round leg 2 match against Palestino in a 5–0 win for Flamengo. He scored one goal, 30 seconds after being substituted on in the 72nd minute. On 19 August, he scored his first Brazilian Série A goals for Flamengo, in a 2–0 win against Atlético Goianiense.

Real Madrid

On 23 May 2017, La Liga club Real Madrid signed a contract to acquire Vinícius, effective after his 18th birthday on 12 July 2018 (as age 18 is the minimum age for international transfer). He transferred for a reported fee of €46 million, which was at the time, the second most expensive sale of a player in the history of Brazilian football (behind only Neymar), the largest amount received by a Brazilian club for a transfer, and the highest amount ever paid by a club for a footballer under the age of 19. He was originally scheduled to return to Brazil on loan in July 2018.

2018–21: Development and adaptation to Spain

On 20 July 2018, he was officially presented as a Real Madrid player. He was issued squad number 28. He made his debut on 29 September, coming in as an 87th-minute substitute in a goalless draw against Atlético Madrid. Vinícius made his first start on 31 October in a 4–0 Copa del Rey away victory against Melilla, contributing with assists for both Marco Asensio and Álvaro Odriozola in what Marca recognised as a Man of the Match performance. He scored his first goal on 3 November 10 minutes after coming on as a substitute in a 2–0 victory against Real Valladolid. He scored four goals between his debut on 29 September and 7 February 2019. On 6 March, he tore a ligament during a loss to Ajax, which ended his season.

On 11 December 2019, he scored his first UEFA Champions League goal in a 3–1 away win over Club Brugge in the 2019–20 season. On 1 March 2020, he scored the first goal in a 2–0 win for Real in El Clásico against Barcelona. He made 29 appearances during the league season, while scoring three goals, as Real Madrid won the 2019–20 La Liga.

On 6 April 2021, Vinícius scored two goals in a 3–1 win against Liverpool in the first leg of the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League quarter-finals. Real Madrid would advance to the semi-finals where they lost to eventual champions Chelsea.

2021–22: First-team breakthrough, second league title, UEFA Champions League winner

Vinícius Jr. in a trophy presentation ceremony at Virgin of Almudena in 2022

Vinícius started the 2021–22 season by scoring Real Madrid's fourth goal in a 4–1 away victory over Alavés on the opening day of the La Liga campaign. On 22 August, he scored a brace in a 3–3 draw against Levante coming off the bench, which earned him a first-team place, ahead of Eden Hazard. On 30 October, he scored twice as Real Madrid won 2–1 at Elche to go top of the La Liga table. The goals were his sixth and seventh of the league season and his eighth and ninth overall, surpassing his total output of six goals in all competitions during the 2020–21 season in just 14 matches. On 12 May 2022, he scored his first hat-trick for Real Madrid in a 6–0 victory over Levante.

On 28 May, he scored the only goal in a 1–0 win over Liverpool in the Champions League final to clinch Madrid their record 14th UEFA Champions League title. Vinícius ended the 2021–22 season as Real Madrid's second-best goalscorer with 22 goals in all competitions, only behind his attacking partner Karim Benzema. For his performances Vinícius was named the inaugural Champions League young player of the season and included in the 2021–22 UEFA Champions League team of the season.

2022–23: FIFA Club World Cup Golden Ball, Champions League semi-finals, and inheritance of No. 7 shirt

On 11 February, Real Madrid defeated Al-Hilal 5–3 in the 2022 FIFA Club World Cup final as Vinícius scored a brace to claim the tournament's best player award and his second Club World Cup title. On 21 February 2023, Vinícius scored two first-half goals to power Real Madrid's 5–2 comeback win at Anfield against Liverpool in the first leg of their Champions League knockout stage round of 16 tie.

On 9 May 2023, Vinícius made a significant contribution to Real Madrid's performance in the first leg of the semi-final against Manchester City, scoring a remarkable long-range goal in the 36th minute. Alongside teammates Rodrygo and Karim Benzema, he created numerous opportunities, showcasing Real Madrid's counter-attacking prowess against Manchester City's dominant possession. The match ultimately ended in a 1–1 draw. However, in the second leg of the semi-final, Real Madrid suffered a crushing 4–0 defeat against City, thereby ending their campaign for the Champions League title. He was selected in the 2022–23 UEFA Champions League team of the tournament.

In the aftermath of Hazard's departure, Real Madrid confirmed that Vinícius, who previously wore the No. 20 shirt, would be sporting the club's iconic No. 7 jersey, once worn by Cristiano Ronaldo and Raúl, from 2023–24 season onwards.

2023–24: Decisive La Liga contributions, injury recovery, contract extension and second Champions League trophy

On 19 August 2023, Vinícius scored the decisive goal in a La Liga match against Almería, contributing to Real Madrid's victory alongside teammate Jude Bellingham, who netted the previous two goals. On 25 August 2023, Vinícius sustained an injury to his right biceps femoris muscle during a league match against Celta, a game that Real Madrid ultimately won 1–0. On 27 September 2023, Vinícius made his return to play in a league fixture against Las Palmas after recovering from his injury. On 3 October, he got his first Champions League goal of the season, netting the 1–1 equaliser in Madrid's away game against Napoli, which eventually ended in a 3–2 win.

Real Madrid announced on 31 October 2023 that they had extended Vinícius' contract until 30 June 2027. On 14 January 2024, he scored a hat-trick in a 4–1 victory over Barcelona in the Supercopa de España final. On 30 April, he netted a brace in a 2–2 away draw against Bayern Munich in the Champions League semi-final first leg; hence, he managed to score at that round for the third consecutive season, in addition to reaching at least 20 goals in all competitions for the third straight season.

On 1 June 2024, he scored in Real Madrid's 2–0 win over Borussia Dortmund in the 2024 UEFA Champions League Final, winning his second trophy in the competition. Aged 23 years and 325 days, Vinícius became the youngest player to score in two Champions League finals, beating Lionel Messi's record by thirteen days. Two days later, Vinícius was named the UEFA Champions League Player of the Season, registering six goals and five assists in Madrid's trophy-winning campaign.

International career

2015–2019: Success at youth level

On 30 October 2015, Vinícius Júnior was called up for Brazil by coach Guilherme Dalla Déa for the South American U-15 Championship. Vinícius and Brazil won the U-15 title and he was the 2nd top-scorer of the tournament with seven goals. He was named player of the tournament and continued to perform which helped him convince Flamengo to sign him by the age of 16. On 24 June 2016, Vinícius was called up for a friendly against Chile U-17 and scored two goals and provided two assists in the 4–2 victory.

In March 2017, Vinícius debuted in the South American U-17 Championship for Brazil with a goal in a 3–0 victory over Peru. In the final stage, he scored two goals in a 3–0 win over Ecuador and two goals in a 3–0 victory over Colombia, securing Brazil's place in the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup in India, where Brazil (without Vinícius Júnior) eventually would finish third. After leading Brazil to win the South American U-17 Championship, Vinícius Júnior was named the tournament's best player and was top goal-scorer with seven goals.

2019–2022: Senior and World Cup debuts

Vinicius with Brazil in 2022 FIFA World Cup group stage match against Serbia

On 28 February 2019, Vinícius was called up to the Brazil national team for the first time for friendlies against Panama and the Czech Republic. However, he suffered an injury while playing for Real Madrid, and David Neres was called up in his place in March. In May, he was excluded from Brazil's final 23-man squad for the 2019 Copa América by manager Tite. He made his senior international debut on 10 September, as a 72nd-minute substitute in Brazil's 1–0 defeat to Peru.

Vinícius was named in Brazil's 2021 Copa América squad by Tite on 9 June 2021, which would be held on home soil. He made a substitute appearance in his nation's 1–0 defeat to rivals Argentina in the final on 10 July.

On 24 March 2022, Vinícius scored his debut goal for the national team, in a 4–0 home win over Chile in a 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification match at the Maracanã Stadium.

On 7 November 2022, Vinícius was named in the Brazil squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup by Tite. In the opening group match against Serbia on 24 November, he set-up Richarlison's second goal to help Brazil to a 2–0 victory. He scored his first FIFA World Cup goal in a 4–1 win against South Korea in the round of 16 on 5 December, also setting up Lucas Paquetá's goal, helping Brazil qualify for the quarter-finals, where they were eliminated by Croatia four days later following a 4–2 penalty shoot-out loss after a 1–1 draw.

On 26 March 2024, Vinícius captained the national team for the first time in a friendly against Spain at the Santiago Bernabéu, his club's home ground.

At the 2024 Copa América, Vinícius scored his first two goals in the tournament in Brazil's second group match, a 4–1 win against Paraguay, also picking up a yellow card; he picked up another booking in his nation's final group match, a 1–1 draw against Colombia, which ruled him out of the quarter-finals. In his absence, Brazil were eliminated following a 4–2 penalty shoot-out defeat after a goalless draw against Uruguay.

Activism

Anti-racism activism

On 15 June 2023, Vinícius was selected by FIFA president Gianni Infantino to lead a special FIFA anti-racism committee composed of players.

Education for all

In 2021, he founded the Instituto Vini Jr., an organisation to facilitate access to school for Brazilian children and teenagers from disadvantaged neighbourhoods.

In 2023, he was awarded the Sócrates Award.

In 2024, UNESCO appointed Vinícius Goodwill Ambassador for Education for All. He is the second footballer after Pelé to become a UNESCO ambassador.

Outside football

Vinícius is a Roman Catholic. He runs a charitable institute in Rio – Instituto Vini Jr – which aims to use technology and sport to educate young Brazilians and, ultimately, alleviate some of the education related inequality in the country.

Career statistics

Club

International

Scores and results list Brazil's goal tally first.

List of international goals scored by Vinícius Júnior

No.	Date	Venue	Cap	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	24 March 2022	Estádio do Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil	12	Chile	2–0	4–0	2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
2	5 December 2022	Stadium 974, Doha, Qatar	19	South Korea	1–0	4–1	2022 FIFA World Cup
3	17 June 2023	RCDE Stadium, Barcelona, Spain	22	Guinea	4–1	4–1	Friendly
4	28 June 2024	Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, United States	32	Paraguay	1–0	4–1	2024 Copa América
5					3–0

Honours

Real Madrid

• La Liga: 2019–20, 2021–22, 2023–24
• Copa del Rey: 2022–23
• Supercopa de España: 2020, 2022, 2024
• UEFA Champions League: 2021–22, 2023–24
• UEFA Super Cup: 2022, 2024
• FIFA Club World Cup: 2018, 2022

Brazil U15

• South American U-15 Championship: 2015

Brazil U17

• South American U-17 Championship: 2017
• BRICS U-17 Football Cup: 2016

Individual

• Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior Best Left-Winger: 2017
• South American U-17 Championship Best Player: 2017
• La Liga Player of the Month: November 2021, March 2024
• La Liga Team of the season: 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24
• UEFA Champions League Team of the Season: 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24
• UEFA Champions League Young Player of the Season: 2021–22
• UEFA Champions League Player of the Season: 2023–24
• FIFA Club World Cup Golden Ball: 2022
• FIFA FIFPRO Men's World 11: 2023
• Sócrates Award: 2023
• Samba Gold: 2023

See also

In Spanish: Vinícius Júnior para niños