26 Superstars: Vinicius Junior
With highlights, quotes, stats, trivia, World Cup history and 2026 hopes, FIFA shines the spotlight on Brazil superstar Vinicius Junior.
He plays with a smile on his face, he spreads joy with his feet, and he feels the DNA of Brazilian football running through his veins. Vinicius Junior is one of the finest modern embodiments of Jogo Bonito, and Brazil will look to him at the FIFA World Cup 2026™ to help put an end to the Seleção’s 24-year wait for World Cup glory as they chase an historic sixth global triumph in Canada, Mexico and the United States.
Born in Sao Goncalo, in the metropolitan area of Rio de Janeiro, Vinicius was identified as one of Brazil’s brightest talents from a very young age in futsal. It was not long before Flamengo, his childhood club, brought him into their academy, where he transitioned from the indoor court to grass and completed the majority of his development as a player.
He made his senior debut for Flamengo at just 16 years of age before moving to Real Madrid to embark on his journey in European football. With over 300 appearances and more than 200 goal involvements for the Spanish giants, he has already won three La Liga titles and two UEFA Champions Leagues, scoring in both European finals. In 2024, he was also crowned The Best FIFA Men’s Player.
Blessed with extreme pace, technical excellence and a ruthless edge in decisive moments, Vinicius terrifies opponents through his unpredictability and relentless intensity. The challenge now is to replicate his club success in the famous yellow shirt of Brazil.
“I love Vini. He’s a great friend that football has given me. He’s a fighter who has been through so much in life, but has exceeded every expectation and every piece of criticism. He has become an idol and a hero to us.” Neymar Jr.
“At this moment in time, he is the most decisive player in the world.” Carlo Ancelotti (speaking in 2023)
“He has won a lot of trophies and individual awards, but what I admire most is his humility. He is always with us, always with his people. I really like that.” Kylian Mbappe
“[The Best FIFA Men’s Player] means much more than his decisive role in matches and his extraordinary numbers in 2023-2024. His talent alone would justify the award, but his impact goes far beyond the pitch.” Ronaldo
In 2024, Vinicius became the first Brazilian to win The Best FIFA Men’s Player award since Kaka in 2007. The award capped a season in which Vinicius won everything with Real Madrid, including the 2023/24 UEFA Champions League, the Spanish league title and the Spanish Super Cup, scoring a hat-trick against Barcelona in the process.
On stage, receiving the award, he reflected on his journey: “I don’t even know where to begin. It used to feel so far away, almost impossible, to get to this point. I was a child playing barefoot in the streets of Sao Goncalo, surrounded by poverty and crime. To be standing here now means everything to me.”
Just one day after receiving the award, he produced a decisive display in the FIFA Intercontinental Cup final against Mexico’s Pachuca. With a goal and an assist in a 3-0 win, he left the stadium with the trophy, the adidas Golden Ball and the Player of the Match award.
Across his career in youth and senior football, Vinicius has represented only two clubs: Flamengo and Real Madrid.
In Brazil, he is nicknamed Malvadeza – “the Wicked” – for the torment he inflicts on defenders with the ball at his feet.
He has worn three shirt numbers since moving to the Spanish capital. He began with the No28, while he was still looking to break into the starting 11, and later switched to the No20, forming a formidable partnership with Karim Benzema and scoring the winning goal in the 2022 Champions League final against Liverpool.
Following Eden Hazard’s departure, Vinicius inherited the iconic No7 shirt, worn by legends such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Raul and Emilio Butragueno. The shirt did not weigh heavy on him, as he helped Madrid to another European title in 2024, scoring the second in a 2-0 win over Borussia Dortmund in the final.
With 32 goals in the UEFA Champions League at the time of writing, Vinicius is currently the second-highest Brazilian scorer in the competition’s history, behind only Neymar and ahead of the likes of Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Kaka.
A goal in the 3-2 Spanish Super Cup defeat to Barcelona in January brought his tally to 16 goals in finals for Real Madrid, placing him level with Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Ferenc Puskas at the summit of the club’s all-time goalscoring chart in finals.
In total, he has amassed 14 major honours with Los Blancos, comprising two UEFA Champions Leagues, three La Liga titles, a Copa del Rey, three Spanish Super Cups, three FIFA Intercontinental Cups and two UEFA Super Cups.
Vinicius was just 18 when he received his first senior call-up for Brazil, and has since contributed eight goals and six assists for the Seleção, but is yet to win a trophy with the national team at full international level.
Since 2021/22, he has scored at least 21 goals a season and currently has 13 to his name this campaign. If you add assists to the equation, he consistently surpasses 30 goal involvements over the course of a season.
Vinicius has only featured in one FIFA World Cup™, representing Brazil at the 2022 edition in Qatar. He played in four of Brazil’s five matches, having a significant impact on the pitch. On his World Cup debut, he provided the assist for Richarlison’s stunning strike against Serbia, which was later voted Goal of the Tournament.
He then delivered a stellar performance in the Round of 16 against Korea Republic, scoring once and providing an assist for Lucas Paqueta in a commanding display. He started the quarter-final against Croatia but was substituted in the second half of normal time, before Brazil were ultimately knocked out through the heartbreak of penalties.
For a nation as steeped in World Cup history as Brazil, there is only one aim when heading to the global showpiece - to return home with the trophy. However, the last time the Seleção achieved that goal was back in 2002.
Placed in Group C, Carlo Ancelotti's side have a testing opener against Morocco, who finished fourth at Qatar 2022, before meeting debutants Haiti and then familiar foes Scotland.