Vinicius Junior: The Thrilling Samba King of Madrid 2023
Vinicius José Paixo de Oliveira Junior (Brazilian Portuguese) is a right winger for Real Madrid of La Liga and the Brazilian national team.
After Vinicius joined Real Madrid in July 2018, ESPN reporter Dermot Corrigan called him a “quick left winger or second striker.” But did you know that Vinicius Junior started his football career as a left-back? There are some cool facts about Vinicius Junior that you may have yet to hear of. In the following sessions, we will review some of the most exciting things about Vinicius Junior.
The early life of Vinicius Junior
Vinicius, who came from a low-income family, moved to Aboliço with his uncle Ulisses to be closer to Ninho do Urubu (“Vultures’ Nest”). Flamengo and other business owners began providing him with financial support.
Between 2007 and 2010, Vinicius took futsal classes at Flamengo’s school at So Gonçalo at the Canto do Rio, a renowned club in the heart of Niterói.
Vinicius tried out for Flamengo’s futsal team when he was nine years old in 2009. The club saw that he had potential, but they asked him to return the following year because he was still young. But he decided he would rather play football than futsal, so he didn’t return. After passing his tests, Flamengo accepted Vincius into the football program in August 2010.
In 2017, at 16, Vinicius made his professional debut with Flamengo. A few weeks later, Vinicius signed for a then-record £38 million with La Liga side Real Madrid. This was Brazil’s highest transfer fee ever paid for a U-18 player.
However, the transfer occurred after Vinicius turned 18, so he didn’t play for the club until 2018–19. By the end of his fourth season, Vinicius had become a key Real Madrid team member. He helped the team win the 2021–22 La Liga title and scored the game-winning goal in the 2022 UEFA Champions League final.
Vinicius played a pivotal role in ensuring the success of the Brazilian youth national team in its 2015 South American U-15 campaign and 2017 South American U-17 campaign, where he finished as the tournament’s top scorer. In 2021, he made his debut for Brazil’s senior national team and helped his country finish as runners-up at the 2021 Copa América. He also played for Brazil at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, which took place in Qatar.
Where is Vinicius Junior from?
Born in Sao Gonçalo, Vinicius kicked off his professional career with Flamengo when he was 16, making his senior debut in 2017.
How old is Vinicius Junior?
The Brazilian footballer Vincius José Paixo de Oliveira Junior was born on July 12th, 2000. Vinicius Jr. is 22 years old.
Vinicius Junior Club Career
The Brazilian-born Real Madrid player is widely regarded as one of the youngest and best players in the world due to his exceptional dribbling ability, lightning-fast pace, and creative playmaking.
In 2006, Vinicius Junior’s father took him to the Flamengo office near Mutuá in Sao Goncalo. There, he tried out for the team. His information captured in the club document described Vinicius Junior as a left-back.
On May 13th, 2017, Vinicius debuted for Flamengo in a 1-1 draw against Atlético Mineiro in the Brazilian Série A, coming on in the 82nd minute. The next day, he signed a two-year contract extension with Flamengo that would keep him there through 2022 at a significantly increased salary and a buyout clause of €45 million, up from €30 million.
According to reports in the media, this contract extension was part of the deal that sent Vinicius to Real Madrid that week in Gávea. Real Madrid has to buy the young player by July 2018.
Vinicius scored his first goal for Flamengo in a 5-0 second-leg win over Palestino in the Copa Sudamericana on August 10th. Just 30 seconds after coming onto the field as a replacement in the 72nd minute, he scored the game’s only goal.
On August 19th, he got his first goal for Flamengo in the Brazilian Série A, helping them beat Atlético Goianiense 2-0.
Real Madrid signed a deal to buy Vinicius on May 23rd, 2017, and he will join the team after he turned 18 on July 12th, 2018. A reported €46 million was paid for his transfer, making it the most expensive sale of a Brazilian football player. This amount paid by Real Madrid was the largest ever received by a Brazilian club for a transfer and the highest ever paid by a club for a footballer under 19.
He was the second-most expensive player in Brazilian football history. He was supposed to return to Brazil on loan in July of that same year. Vinicius was formally unveiled as a Real Madrid player on July 20th, 2018. He was given shirt number 28.
On September 29th, he made his first appearance, coming on as a late substitute in the 87th minute of a 0-0 match against Atlético Madrid. On October 31st, Vinicius made his Copa del Rey debut in a 4–0 away win against Melilla. He created assists for Marco Asensio and Alvaro Odriozola and was declared the Man of the Match.
On November 3rd, he entered the game as a substitute and scored two minutes later, helping Real Madrid beat Real Valladolid 2-0. Between September 29th and February 7th, 2019, Vinicius has already scored four goals. He suffered a season-ending ligament tear in a 2-1 loss to Ajax on March 6th. His season was cut short on March 6th when he tore a ligament in a defeat to Ajax.
International Career
In preparation for the South American U-15 Championship, Brazil coach Guilherme Dalla Déa called Vinicius Junior on October 30th to join other U-15 Brazilian players representing Brazil in the tournament.
Vinicius and Brazil went on to win the U-15 championship, and he finished as the tournament’s second-highest goal-scorer with seven goals. By age 16, he had already convinced Flamengo to sign him after being named Player of the Tournament.
Vinicius played in a friendly match against Chile U-17 on June 24th, 2016, and contributed to a 4-2 win with two goals and two assists. In March 2017, Vinicius debuted for Brazil’s U-17 squad, scoring a hat trick in a 3-0 win over Peru at the South American U-17 Championship.
Brazil qualified for the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup in India thanks to his hat trick in a 3-0 win over Ecuador and another hat trick in a 3-0 win over Colombia, sending Brazil to the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup in India, where they would finish third without Vinicius Junior.
Vinicius Junior led Brazil to victory in the South American U-17 Championship, where he was named the tournament’s best player and finished as the tournament’s top goal-scorer with seven goals.
Vinicius debuted with the Brazil national team on February 28th, 2019, for friendly matches against Panama and the Czech Republic. However, he was injured while playing for Real Madrid and was replaced by David Neres in March. In May, he was left out of Brazil manager Tite’s final 23-man team for the 2019 Copa América. On September 10th, he made his senior national team debut after coming on as a substitute in the 72nd minute of Brazil’s 1-0 loss to Peru.
On June 9th, 2021, Tite announced that Vinicius would participate in the upcoming Copa América tournament that Brazil will host. He was brought on as a substitute in the July 10th final, which his country lost to rival Argentina by 1-0.
At the Maracana Stadium on March 24th, 2022, Vinicius scored his first goal for Brazil in a 4-0 victory over Chile in a 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifying match.
Tite included Vinicius in Brazil’s World Cup team on November 7th, 2022. He created the assist on Brazil’s second goal scored by Richarlison in their 2-0 opening group game victory against Serbia on November 24th.
Brazil progressed to the quarterfinals after a 4-1 win over South Korea in the round of 16 on December 5th; he scored his first World Cup goal in that game and also assisted on Lucas Paquetá’s; however, they were eliminated by Croatia in a 4-2 penalty shootout loss after a 1-1 draw in the quarterfinals on December 9th.
Vinicius’ stats, position, and style of play
Although he usually plays on the left wing, his versatility has seen him used on the right side and in the middle of the field.
Despite his body frame, he is known for his incredible speed, agility, balance, technique, flair, dribbling skills, and close control while on top speed. He also has much power, physical strength, and trickery on the ball. He is known for his movement, energy, and ability to run at defenders, change directions quickly, and beat opponents more often in one-on-one situations whenever he has the ball.
According to data on the Real Madrid website, Vinicius Junior is 176 cm tall and weighs 73kg.
How much did Real Madrid pay Vinicius Junior?
Real Madrid signed Vinicius for a record transfer fee of £38 million.
How much does Vinicius Junior earn per week at Real Madrid?
Vinicius Junior is expected to have a net worth of $20 million by 2023. His transfer value peaked at €120 million in September of 2022.
The 22-year-old earns €275,000 per week.
After the 2023–24 season, Vini’s contract will have ended. A new deal with Real Madrid is anticipated. As a result, he may expect to make between €300,000 and €350,000 each week.
Honors and Achievement
Brazil National Team
- Vinicius was part of the Brazilian U-15 team that won the U-15 Championship in 2015.
- He won the South American U-17 Championship 2017 with the Brazilian U-17.
- He also won the 2016 edition of the BRICS U-17 Football Cup.
Individual
- In 2017, he was named the best junior left-winger in the Copa So Paulo de Futebol.
- He was declared the Best Player of the 2017 South American U-17 Championship.
- Vinicius was La Liga Player of the Month for November 2021.
- Awarded UEFA Champions League Team of the Season (2021–22)
- He was declared the UEFA Champions League Young Player of the Season for the 2021–22 season.
- Awarded La Liga Team of the Season for 2021–22
- Vinicius Jr. won the FIFA Club World Cup Golden Ball in 2022.
Personal Life
Curious, many football fans have asked, “Who is Vinicius’ junior girlfriend”? Vini is private when it comes to his relationship and personal life.
Top 10 Fun Facts About Vinicius Jr.
- Vinicius wears the shirt number 20.
- Vinicius Junior has 21 goals for Real Madrid as of the time of writing this article.
- Contrary to his rugged look, the Real Madrid player doesn’t take alcohol.
- His parents still manage his finances.
Itís hard to find knowledgeable people for this subject, but you seem like you know what youíre talking about! Thanks
Thanks and you’re most welcome.