Vinícius Júnior facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Vinícius Júnior

Vinícius in 2021
Personal information
Full name	Vinícius José Paixão de Oliveira Júnior
Date of birth	(2000-07-12) 12 July 2000 (age 25)
Place of birth	São Gonçalo, Brazil
Height	1.76 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position(s)	Forward
Team information
Current team	Real Madrid
Number	7
Youth career
2006–2017	Flamengo
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2017–2018	Flamengo	50	(11)
2018	Real Madrid B	5	(4)
2018–	Real Madrid	190	(57)
International career‡
2015–2016	Brazil U15	10	(7)
2016–2017	Brazil U17	19	(17)
2018–2019	Brazil U20	4	(0)
2019–	Brazil	37	(5)
Medal record 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
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 22:04, 14 December 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 23:42, 19 November 2024 (UTC)

Vinícius José Paixão de Oliveira Júnior (born 12 July 2000), known as Vinícius Júnior or Vini Jr., is a Brazilian professional footballer. He plays as a forward for the Spanish club Real Madrid and the Brazil national team. Many people think he is one of the best players in the world. He is famous for how fast he runs, his amazing skills, and his ability to dribble past defenders.

Vinícius was born in São Gonçalo, Brazil. He started his professional football journey at Flamengo. He played his first senior game in 2017 when he was only 16 years old. Soon after, La Liga club Real Madrid signed him for a huge amount of money, about £38 million. This was a record for a player under 18 in Brazil. He officially joined Real Madrid after his 18th birthday in 2018.

Over the next few years, Vinícius became a very important player for Real Madrid. He helped the team win the La Liga title and the UEFA Champions League twice each. He even scored the winning goals in the 2022 and 2024 Champions League finals. In 2024, he was named the best player of the Champions League tournament. He was also chosen for the FIFPRO World 11 in 2023 and 2024. In 2024, he won The Best FIFA Men's Player award and was second for the 2024 Ballon d'Or.

When he was younger, Vinícius was a key player for Brazil's youth teams. He helped them win the 2015 South American U-15 Championship and the 2017 South American U-17 Championship. He was the top goal scorer in the U-17 competition. He played his first game for the senior Brazil team in 2021. He helped Brazil reach the final of the 2021 Copa América. He also played for Brazil in the 2022 FIFA World Cup and the 2024 Copa América.

Club Career Highlights

Starting His Football Journey

Vinícius started playing football in 2006. His father took him to a branch of the Flamengo club in his neighborhood of Mutuá. At first, his club papers listed him as a left-back, which is a defensive position.

Vinícius came from a family that didn't have much money. To be closer to Flamengo's training ground, called Ninho do Urubu, he moved to live with his uncle. Flamengo also started giving him financial help, and some business people helped him too.

Between 2007 and 2010, Vinícius took futsal classes at Flamengo's school. Futsal is a type of indoor football played on a hard court. Flamengo saw how talented he was, and he decided he wanted to play outdoor football instead of futsal. In 2010, he tried out for Flamengo's youth football team and was accepted.

Playing for Flamengo

Vinícius playing for Flamengo in 2018

Vinícius made his first professional appearance for Flamengo on 13 May 2017. He came into the game as a substitute in a 1–1 draw against Atlético Mineiro. Just two days later, he signed a new contract with Flamengo. This new contract lasted until 2022 and included a much higher salary. It also increased his "buyout clause" from €30 million to €45 million. A buyout clause is a fee that another club would have to pay to buy him out of his contract. This contract was part of a deal for Vinícius to join Real Madrid in July 2018.

On 10 August 2017, Vinícius scored his first professional goal. It was in a Copa Sudamericana match against Palestino. He scored just 30 seconds after coming on as a substitute. On 19 August, he scored his first goals in the Brazilian Série A league. He scored two goals in a 2–0 win against Atlético Goianiense.

Moving to Real Madrid

On 23 May 2017, La Liga club Real Madrid agreed to sign Vinícius. The deal would become official after his 18th birthday on 12 July 2018. This is because players must be at least 18 years old for international transfers. He moved for about €46 million. At that time, it was the second most expensive transfer of a player in Brazilian football history. It was also the most money a Brazilian club had ever received for a transfer. Plus, it was the highest amount ever paid by a club for a footballer under 19.

Developing His Skills (2018–2021)

On 20 July 2018, Vinícius was officially introduced as a Real Madrid player. He wore the number 28 jersey. He played his first game on 29 September, coming on as a substitute in a 0–0 draw against Atlético Madrid. His first start was on 31 October in a 4–0 win against Melilla in the Copa del Rey. He helped set up two goals in that game and was named the Man of the Match. He scored his first goal for Real Madrid on 3 November in a 2–0 win against Real Valladolid. He scored four goals by February 2019. However, on 6 March, he got an injury that ended his season early.

On 11 December 2019, he scored his first UEFA Champions League goal. It was in a 3–1 away win against Club Brugge. On 1 March 2020, he scored the first goal in a 2–0 win against Barcelona in El Clásico. He played in 29 league games and scored three goals as Real Madrid won the 2019–20 La Liga title.

On 6 April 2021, Vinícius scored two goals in a 3–1 win against Liverpool in the Champions League quarter-finals. Real Madrid moved on to the semi-finals but lost to Chelsea.

Becoming a Star (2021–2022)

Vinícius Jr. with trophies in 2022

Vinícius started the 2021–22 season by scoring a goal in Real Madrid's 4–1 win over Alavés. On 22 August, he scored two goals after coming off the bench in a 3–3 draw against Levante. This helped him earn a regular spot in the starting team. On 30 October, he scored two more goals in a 2–1 win against Elche. These goals meant he had already scored more goals than in the entire previous season. On 12 May 2022, he scored his first "hat-trick" (three goals in one game) for Real Madrid in a 6–0 win over Levante.

On 28 May, he scored the only goal in a 1–0 win against Liverpool in the Champions League final. This win gave Real Madrid their record 14th Champions League title. Vinícius finished the 2021–22 season as Real Madrid's second-highest goal scorer with 22 goals. He was named the best young player of the Champions League season. He was also included in the Champions League team of the season.

Taking the Number 7 Shirt (2022–2023)

On 11 February 2023, Real Madrid beat Al-Hilal 5–3 in the FIFA Club World Cup final. Vinícius scored two goals and was named the best player of the tournament. This was his second Club World Cup title. On 21 February 2023, Vinícius scored two goals in the first half. This helped Real Madrid come back from behind to win 5–2 against Liverpool in the Champions League.

On 9 May 2023, Vinícius scored an amazing long-range goal against Manchester City in the Champions League semi-final. The game ended in a 1–1 draw. However, Real Madrid lost the second game 4–0, ending their Champions League journey. Vinícius was still chosen for the 2022–23 Champions League team of the tournament.

After Eden Hazard left the club, Real Madrid announced that Vinícius would wear the famous number 7 jersey. This number was previously worn by legendary players like Cristiano Ronaldo and Raúl. He started wearing it from the 2023–24 season onwards.

More Trophies and Awards (2023–2024)

On 19 August 2023, Vinícius scored a key goal in a La Liga match against Almería. Real Madrid won that game. On 25 August 2023, Vinícius got an injury during a league match against Celta. He returned to play on 27 September 2023 against Las Palmas. On 3 October, he scored his first Champions League goal of the season against Napoli. Real Madrid won that game 3–2.

Real Madrid announced on 31 October 2023 that Vinícius had extended his contract until 30 June 2027. On 14 January 2024, he scored a hat-trick in a 4–1 win over Barcelona in the Supercopa de España final. In March, Vinícius scored six goals in four matches. This included two goals against Valencia and the winning goal against RB Leipzig in the Champions League. On 21 April, he scored another goal against Barcelona. This helped Real Madrid almost secure the league title. On 30 April, he scored two goals against Bayern Munich in the Champions League semi-final first leg. This was his third straight season scoring at least 20 goals in all competitions.

On 1 June, Vinícius scored in Real Madrid's 2–0 win over Borussia Dortmund in the 2024 UEFA Champions League Final. This was his second Champions League trophy. At 23 years and 325 days old, he became the youngest player to score in two Champions League finals. Two days later, he was named the UEFA Champions League Player of the Season. He had six goals and five assists in Real Madrid's winning campaign.

Becoming The Best (2024–2025)

On 22 October 2024, Vinícius scored his first hat-trick in a European competition. It was in a 5–2 comeback win against Borussia Dortmund. He finished second in the 2024 Ballon d'Or award. On 17 December, Vinícius was named The Best FIFA Men's Player for 2024. The next day, he helped set up a goal and scored a penalty in a 3–0 win over Pachuca. This made Madrid the first champions of the new FIFA Intercontinental Cup. Vinícius also won the Player of the Tournament and Golden Ball awards for this competition.

International Career

Youth Success (2015–2019)

On 30 October 2015, Vinícius was called up to play for Brazil's U-15 team. They played in the 2015 South American U-15 Championship. Vinícius and Brazil won the U-15 title. He was the second-highest scorer in the tournament with seven goals. He was named the best player of the tournament. His great performances helped convince Flamengo to sign him when he was 16. In 2016, he played in a friendly game against Chile U-17. He scored two goals and helped with two assists in a 4–2 win.

In March 2017, Vinícius played in the 2017 South American U-17 Championship for Brazil. He scored a goal in a 3–0 win over Peru. In the final stage, he scored two goals against Ecuador and two goals against Colombia. This helped Brazil secure their spot in the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup. Brazil later finished third in that World Cup, but Vinícius did not play in it. After leading Brazil to win the South American U-17 Championship, he was named the tournament's best player and was the top goal-scorer with seven goals.

Playing for the Senior National Team (2019–2022)

Vinicius with Brazil in a 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. He was supposed to play in friendly games against Panama and the Czech Republic. However, he got injured while playing for Real Madrid. Another player, David Neres, took his place. In May, he was not included in Brazil's squad for the 2019 Copa América. On 10 September, he made his debut for Brazil. He came on as a substitute in a 1–0 loss against Peru.

Vinícius was part of Brazil's squad for the 2021 Copa América in June 2021. He came on as a substitute in the final, where Brazil lost 1–0 to their rivals Argentina.

On 24 March 2022, Vinícius scored his first goal for the national team. It was in a 4–0 win against Chile in a World Cup qualification match. On 7 November 2022, Vinícius was chosen for Brazil's squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. In the first group match against Serbia, he helped set up Richarlison's second goal in 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. He also helped set up another goal in that game. Brazil reached the quarter-finals but lost to Croatia in a penalty shootout.

On 26 March 2024, Vinícius was the captain of the national team for the first time. It was in a friendly match against Spain at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, which is Real Madrid's home stadium. At the 2024 Copa América, Vinícius scored his first two goals in the tournament in a 4–1 win against Paraguay. He also received a yellow card in that game. He got another yellow card in the next match against Colombia, which meant he couldn't play in the quarter-finals. Without him, Brazil was knocked out of the tournament after losing to Uruguay in a penalty shootout.

Activism and Charity Work

On 15 June 2023, Vinícius was chosen by FIFA president Gianni Infantino to lead a special FIFA committee. This committee works to fight against racism in football.

Education for All

In 2021, Vinícius started the Instituto Vini Jr. This organization helps children and teenagers from poor neighborhoods in Brazil get access to school. In 2023, he received the Sócrates Award for his work. In 2024, UNESCO named Vinícius a Goodwill Ambassador for Education for All. He is only the second footballer, after the legendary Pelé, to become a UNESCO ambassador.

Personal Life

Vinícius is a Roman Catholic. He runs a charity in Rio de Janeiro called Instituto Vini Jr. This charity uses technology and sports to help educate young Brazilians. Its goal is to reduce the unfair differences in education in the country. In November 2024, a DNA test showed that he has roots with the Tikar people from Cameroon.

Career Statistics Summary

Vinícius Júnior has played many games and scored many goals for his clubs and country.

• Flamengo: He played 69 games and scored 14 goals.
• Real Madrid B: He played 5 games and scored 4 goals.
• Real Madrid: He has played 285 games and scored 97 goals so far.
• Brazil National Team: He has played 37 games and scored 5 goals.

Honours and Awards

Vinícius Júnior has won many important trophies and awards throughout his career.

With 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
• FIFA Intercontinental Cup: 2024

With Brazil

• Copa América: Runner-up in 2021

With Brazil U17

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

With Brazil U15

• South American U-15 Championship: 2015

Individual Awards

• The Best FIFA Men's Player: 2024
• The Best FIFA Men's 11: 2024
• South American U-17 Championship Best Player: 2017
• La Liga Player of the Month: November 2021, March 2024, November 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 Intercontinental Cup Golden Ball: 2024
• FIFA Intercontinental Cup Player of the Tournament: 2024
• FIFA FIFPRO Men's World 11: 2023, 2024
• Sócrates Award: 2023
• Samba Gold: 2023

Images for kids

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  Vinícius playing for Flamengo in 2018

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  Vinícius Jr. with trophies in 2022

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

See also

In Spanish: Vinícius Júnior para niños