From Sao Goncalo to the world. This is one of the most commented phrases in recent days, which summarizes the trajectory of the star Vinícius Jose Paixao de Oliveira Junior, or simply Vinícius Júnior. He went down in European football history, for scoring the goal that led to Real Madrid’s victory over Liverpool in the Champions League. He has been in sublime form during the 2022-23 season as well. So much so that Madrid fans aren’t ruing the fact that Kylian Mbappe decided to stay with PSG instead of joining them. In this post, we will find out more about Vinicius Jr. Let’s get started.

Vinicius Jr. – All You Need To Know 

Who is Vinicius Jr.?

Vinícius, who was born in Sao Goncalo and trained for many years in the municipality, is an inspiration for children who dream of becoming players in Europe and even for those who want to succeed, even in another profession, outside the country. He went to the Flamengo do Mutua school, where the football idol trained throughout his childhood.

Coach Carlos Eduardo Abrantes Beraldini, 51, met Vinícius Jr. at the beginning of his training at the little school. According to him, Vinícius already had the gift with the ball from the beginning and stood out even among the older ones. 

“Vinicius arrived for us between the ages of 5 and 6 and stayed until he was 12. Then he went to the base and made it to Flamengo’s main team. From the beginning, when he arrived, he showed himself to be very different from the other boys, with a more refined technique, and a fast athlete. He was so good that we put him to compete with older athletes”, said Carlos. 

What helped Vinicius Jr. succeed from a young age? 

Vinícius, according to the coach, loved to play ball and was always a Flamengo player at heart, but what helped him to succeed, in addition to his gift on the field, was the support of his family. “Father and mother have always supported him here. That was instrumental in him becoming the successful man he is today,” he said. Vinícius, as a child, lived in Portao do Rosa. 

Carlos adds that he keeps in touch with Vinícius to this day and that the player has never lost himself in the midst of fame. “Vinicius has always been a fantastic boy and is turning into a fantastic man, hardworking and very focused on his work and that is where a large part of his success comes from. This achievement that he has today has always been his dream, he used to talk about it, to get these titles since he was a child,” he said.

The UEFA Champions League victory only happened because of Vinicius’ goal and that made his childhood coach proud. “For us, it’s a dream come true, we idealize it for many athletes, and seeing Vinicius conquering is very big. Seeing him playing on Saturday for us is like a fairy tale, a dream come true, it’s his dream, but also ours, the emotion was great”, he said. 

Vinicius’ conquest shows that those who believe can achieve. He walked the streets of Sao Goncalo like any boy with a dream, but he didn’t let life’s adversities bring him down and today he is reaping the fruits of all his dedication. 

An important person who saw Vinícius on the street in the Mutua neighborhood when the athlete was still a child was retired Roberto Lúcio da Silva, 72 years old. The old man never imagined, however, that he would see the young man years later on TV playing in the Champions League. “I met him when I was young, I saw him on the street, coming to train. At the time, they said he didn’t even have a boot, and they managed to fix it seeing how much he stood out. Whenever they saw him training, people already said he would be good with the ball. The guy is very good, friendly, he didn’t create a problem, he was an ace, he would finish the game and go away to take care of his things”, he said.

Is Vinicius Jr. very inspirational?

At Mutua’s soccer school, everyone wants to be Vinícius Junior. At least that’s what little Saulo (aged 7), Samuel (aged 8), and Ryan (aged 5) told. They now train in the same place as the Real Madrid star. “I saw Vinícius’ game on Saturday and I want to be on TV like him playing football”, said little Samuel.

Little ones take training very seriously, just like other kids. That’s what their parents tell the press. 

Flavia Pureza, 30, strongly believes in her son’s dream and that’s why she encourages him. “I study online and I even stopped working to accompany my son in his dream. You can see that the doors are starting to open and I’m already happy about that. I hope that one day he gets as far as Vinícius Junior did. He has been a Flamengo player since he was born and is very connected to the team’s stars, like Gabigol, so he knows very well who Vinícius is and that he came from here in Sao Goncalo”, said Pureza.

Little Samuel’s father, mechanic Rondinely Araujo, 42, said that his son always liked to play ball, and before the pandemic he had already enrolled his son in the Mutua school. However, when the pandemic came, training was interrupted. Today, he wants his son to conquer everything he can, just like Vinícius in football. “Samuel has been a Flamengo player since he was born and always liked to play ball. On Saturday, he saw Vinícius play and was super excited. I always give him my support, because I know how important this is. my youngest son, 4 years old, will train here as soon as he can,” he said.

Ronaldo Oliveira, 63, is Ryan’s grandfather and, along with the little one’s father, has influenced him since he was little so that he could follow his dreams. Ryan’s dream is also to be a professional football player. “He watches the game all the time, plays ball on the street, indoors, does everything, he loves it. Whenever he has training, he wakes up early alone and all excited to come. He is dedicated and focused, even when he is very small”, said the retiree.

Vinícius Junior is living proof that dedication, love for what you do, and family support are fundamental for growth and the achievement of dreams. Today, he lives in Europe, but he doesn’t forget his roots. Now, he is also preparing for the World Cup, scheduled for the end of the year. 

How did Vinicius Jr. contribute to Real Madrid’s Champions League triumph?

Vinícius Junior was one of the main contributors to Real Madrid’s 14th Champions League win. The Brazilian striker was the author of the goal in the 1-0 victory over Liverpool and crowned his great performance in the season for the Spanish club. The player’s good performances put him in the spotlight for the World Cup in Qatar. In the program, Red Card #13, broadcast live by UOL Esporte this Tuesday (31), journalists Juca Kfouri and Jose Trajano talked about the highlights around Vinícius Júnior after the Champions League final. They recognized the attacker’s good moments, but also recommended caution not to be overly excited.

“There were two heroes in Real Madrid’s victory: Thibaut Courtois and Vinícius Junior. I’m going to go against the tide and favour a statement by Casemiro, with which I very much agree. Asked if he thought Vinícius Junior would be the great name of Brazil, he asked for calm and not to throw that weight on the boy’s back”, commented Trajano. At the age of 21, Vinícius Junior ended the season for Real Madrid with impressive numbers: in 52 matches, he scored 22 goals and provided 16 assists. In four years of wearing the merengue shirt, the Brazilian has already won six titles, after overcoming mistrust when he arrived at the club. “He is doing very well, after a start more or less. 

Vinicius Jr. – Professional career

Formed in Flamengo’s youth categories, Vinícius Junior debuted for the professional team from Gavea in 2017. After being egged on by the crowd, the player entered the field in the 37th minute of the second half, in the first round of the brasileirão.

Professional debut

Vini made his debut for Flamengo against Atletico-MG, inside the famous Maracana.

In the beginning, the athlete was a reserve of the red-black team, however, in 2018, he gained starting status, and was decisive in the good performance of the Brazilian team. Despite having played only one year for Flamengo, Vini scored 10 goals and 4 assists in 49 games.

Real Madrid

Upon arriving in Spain at the start of the 2018 European season, Vinícius was loaned to Real Madrid Castilla, a B team of the Madrid team. There, the player needed only five games to show his skill. With four goals scored and one assist during his appearances, he was soon called up to be part of the main squad of Real Madrid.

At Real, the player did not have such a spectacular start. Some people even talked about him being loaned to some other team. However, in the last two seasons, Vinicius Jr. has gained prominence within the club, and today, at just 21 years old, he is an integral part of the biggest club in Spain.

A new chapter in the history of Vinícius Júnior

According to fans, Vinícius Júnior was considered the “Negueba JR”, however, the ace turned around in Brazil, the ace turned around in Spain, and left behind the nickname given by the haters of “Negueba Jr”. During the 2022-23 Vinícius Junior has 17 goals and 14 assists in the 38 matches he has played. The athlete’s average of goals per minute on the field is even more surprising: it takes 103 minutes to participate in a goal for Vinicius Jr.

Presentation of Vinícius Júnior at Real Madrid. The athlete arrived in Spain alone.

The good numbers in the 21/22 season make the star the best Brazilian in the main European leagues. According to data from Sofascore, Vini is the first in goals (17), he is also the athlete with the best aim, about 67% of the kicks reach the opposing goal, and with more certain dribbles (116). In addition, the athlete stands out not only for his individuality but also for the collective; Vini is the Brazilian with the most assists (10) and the first in decisive passes (84).

With his spectacular performance in the Real Madrid shirt, Vinícius became an integral part of the Spanish giants’ success. During the double winning 2021-2022 season, the player started in 86% of the games in the competition. Likewise, in the Champions League, the striker also stands out. In the competition, Vini was a starter in all matches and created numerous chances for the team throughout the tournament. It was only fitting that Real Madrid won the UEFA Champions League Final on the back of a winning goal from Vinicius Jr.

Vinicius Jr. – National Team Career

If on the one hand, Vinícius is a starter and fundamental in Real Madrid, for the selection the ace has not yet managed to establish himself. Despite being constantly called up by coach Tite, the striker is not considered a starter and played only 11 games. He hasn’t been able to replicate his club form on the international stage.

However, despite the few games, the athlete has already been present in nine squad lists of the Brazilian team. Despite being called up often, Vinícius has not had good numbers and has not yet managed to participate directly in any goal.

There is no explanation for Vinicius Jr. not being called up to the Brazilian national team. 

For the national team, Vinícius Junior plays with shirt number 18.

The expectation is that the player continues to evolve and that in addition to being the best Brazilian at the moment, he can also be one of the main players of the selection. National coach Tite already takes for granted the call-up of some athletes for the 2022 world cup, and Vinícius Junior will certainly be on the coach’s list.