- Born:
- July 12, 2000, São Gonçalo, Brazil (age 26)
- Awards And Honors:
- UEFA Champions League (2024)
- UEFA Champions League (2022)
VinĂcius JĂșnior
What team does VinĂcius JĂșnior play for?
What notable achievement did VinĂcius JĂșnior accomplish in the 2021â22 UEFA Champions League?
How did VinĂcius JĂșnior start his football career?
What stance did VinĂcius JĂșnior take regarding racism in Spain?
VinĂcius JĂșnior (born July 12, 2000, SĂŁo Gonçalo, Brazil) is a Brazilian football (soccer) player known for his exceptional speed and dribbling, which have made him one of the leading stars of the Spanish club Real Madrid. Playing as a left-wing forward, he has helped Real Madrid win multiple titles, including UEFA Champions League trophies in 2021â22 and 2023â24, scoring in the final match of both editions. He has also been subject to highly publicized incidents of racism and has played an active role in combating racism in football.
Early life
VinĂcius JĂșnior was born to VinĂcius JosĂ© PaixĂŁo de Oliveira and wife Fernanda in SĂŁo Gonçalo, in Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil. When VinĂcius was six, his father took him to play for a school affiliated with the football club Flamengo. As a child, he played left back and idolized Brazilian footballer Robinho.
From 2007 to 2010 VinĂcius continued his football training but also took futsal lessons. He was part of a strong futsal team at the club Canto do Rio and, at age nine, unsuccessfully tried out for Flamengoâs futsal team. The next year, he tried out, this time successfully, for Flamengoâs youth football team. The next few years were a struggle; VinĂcius had to travel about 45 miles (70 km) twice a day to get to and from the Flamengo training center. He briefly stayed with a cousin to be closer to training before his family managed to move closer to Flamengo. At 16 he signed his first professional contract with Flamengo.
Club career and stardom
By the time VinĂcius made his professional debut for Flamengo, coming on as a substitute against AtlĂ©tico Mineiro in the 2017 Brazilian Championship, he was already well known. Aware that Real Madrid had its eye on him, Flamengo increased his salary and set a âŹ45 million ($47.7 million) release clause, anticipating a future transfer. A deal was soon reached, with Real Madrid signing him for âŹ46 million ($48.8 million), effective once he turned 18. At the time, it was the second most expensive transfer from a Brazilian league, after Neymar in 2013. VinĂcius scored seven goals in 37 appearances for Flamengo before moving to Real Madrid and debuting for the latter against AtlĂ©tico Madrid in September 2018.
VinĂcius scored his first La Liga goal in November in a match against Real Valladolid. In 2019â20, Real Madrid won the La Liga title, and after a second-place finish the next season, won another title in the 2021â22 season, along with the 2022 UEFA Champions League title; VinĂcius scored the winning goal in the latter final against Liverpool. He also ranked second on the team in goals and in assists. He then played a key role in taking Real Madrid to another La Liga title in 2023â24 and the UEFA Champions League title, again scoring a goal in the final, this time in a 2â0 victory against Borussia Dortmund. He has scored more than a hundred goals in his Real Madrid career.
âI donât even know where to begin. It was so far away that it seemed impossible to get here. I was a kid who only played football barefoot on the streets of SĂŁo Gonçalo, close to poverty and crime. Getting here is something very important to me. Iâm doing it for many children who think that everything is impossible and who think they canât get here.â
âVinĂcius JĂșnior after being named the FIFA Menâs Player of the Year in 2024
In December 2024 VinĂcius won FIFA Menâs Player of the Year, after scoring 24 goals in 39 appearances across all competitions. He also received the Adidas Golden Ball and Aramco Player of the Tournament awards that year for his performance in FIFAâs Intercontinental Cup. It was seen as vindication for the young star, coming two months after missing out on the Ballon dâOr award to Manchester City midfielder Rodri. Real Madrid had boycotted the award ceremony once it was revealed that VinĂcius was in second place after the votes were tallied. A few months later, VinĂcius led Real Madrid as captain for the first time in a February 26, 2025, game against Real Sociedad.
International career
VinĂcius started his international career as a youth and was named Player of the Tournament in Brazilâs 2015 win in the South American U-15 championship. He repeated his feat in 2017, helping Brazil win the South American U-17 tournament and qualify for the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup. However, he did not participate in the World Cup itself.
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VinĂcius was picked for the senior Brazil side for the first time in early 2019 but was withdrawn from the squad following an injury; he was subsequently left out of Brazilâs 2019 Copa America side as well. He finally debuted in September the same year in a friendly match against Peru and was included in Brazilâs 2021 Copa America side, which finished second to Argentina.
VinĂcius scored his first international goal in 2022 in a FIFA 2022 World Cup qualifier versus Chile and was included in the World Cup squad after Brazil qualified. He scored his first World Cup goal in Brazilâs second-round win over South Korea; the team would go on to lose to Croatia in the quarterfinals. In the 2024 Copa America tournament, he scored two goals in a win against Paraguay but missed the quarterfinal (which Brazil lost) against Uruguay because of a suspension. He was Brazilâs top scorer in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, scoring a goal in their first match, a draw against Morocco, another goal in Brazilâs 3â0 victory over Haiti, and a brace in a 3â0 win against Scotland. Brazil were eliminated from the competition after a 2â1 loss to Norway in the round of 16.
Activism
Against racism
In his time with Real Madrid, VinĂcius has been the target of more than 25 reported instances of racist abuse. Several of these instances have led to criminal proceedings. In June 2024 three men were given eight-month prison sentences for a May 2023 incident in which they heckled VinĂcius from the stands with racist taunts, including monkeylike sounds and gestures. The court concluded that the fansâ behavior âcaused the footballer feelings of frustration, shame and humiliation, with the consequent undermining of his intrinsic dignity.â The next year four additional football fans were sentenced to prison for another 2023 incident, in which they hung an effigy of VinĂcius from a bridge.
During a February 2026 UEFA Champions League match against Portuguese team Benfica, VinĂcius was involved in an on-field verbal altercation with Benficaâs Gianluca Prestianni, during which the latter player covered his mouth with his jersey to prevent the possibility of anyone reading his lips. Following the heated exchange, VinĂcius ran to the referee and accused Prestianni of racially abusing him, leading the match to be halted for about 10 minutes after the officials triggered FIFAâs official anti-racism protocol. Following an investigation, Prestianni was found guilty of homophobic conduct and suspended for three matches along with an additional three-match suspended sentence. The incident also led the International Football Association Board (IFAB; the body that codifies the sportâs rules and regulations) to make it a red-card offense for a player to cover their mouth while interacting with opposition players or coaching staff from the 2026 FIFA World Cup onward.
âIâm not a victim of racism. I am the tormentor of racists. [This conviction is] not for me. Itâs for all black people.â
âVinĂcius JĂșnior in a social media post in 2023
VinĂcius has not been silent about the impact of the racism on him or the sport. In 2023 he joined a task force created by FIFA to combat racism in football. He spoke about his experiences in March 2024 when he broke down after a new round of racist abuse at games and cried during a news conference as he was describing the toll that it was taking on him. Later that year he ignited a backlash in Spain when he said the country should lose its status as cohost of the 2030 FIFA World Cup unless it does a better job of eradicating racism. Spain, Portugal, and Morocco are slated to host the tournament that year.
Promoting education
In 2021 VinĂcius founded the Vini Jr. Institute (Instituto VinĂ Jr.) to support public education in Brazil, using âfootball as a language and technology and body movement as learning tools.â The institute develops and provides teachers with training materials and tools that make learning more engaging by incorporating movement and leveraging young peopleâs love of football. It additionally runs anti-racist education workshops to help teachers create an inclusive environment for their students.
VinĂciusâs work with the institute, along with his work fighting racism in the football world, led to him being made a UNESCO goodwill ambassador for education for all in 2024. This followed on the heels of his 2023 win of the Socrates Award, which is given by the same organization that awards the Ballon dâOr and recognizes players who show a commitment to social causes.