Vinicius Junior scored in all three of Brazil’s group games at the 2026 World Cup, joining the ranks of Pelé, Ronaldo, Romário, Rivaldo and Garrincha. The 25-year-old Real Madrid star has finally delivered for his country after years of unfulfilled promise.
Vinicius Junior’s Journey to Stardom
Vinicius won his first cap in a 1-0 friendly defeat by Peru in 2019 and was mostly on the bench when Brazil hosted the Copa América in 2021. He didn’t score his first international goal until his 19th appearance – a 4-0 thrashing of Chile in a World Cup qualifier in 2022. By the time the World Cup kicked off in Qatar later that year, he had added clinical finishing to his speed and there were greater expectations.
He went to the 2022 tournament as a Champions League winner, having scored the only goal in the final when Real Madrid beat Liverpool. Given that billing, his impact – one goal and two assists as Brazil were beaten by Croatia on penalties in the quarter-finals – was below par. But the Brazilian public did not expect him to be the main character; that role was still held by Neymar.
Neymar’s Injury and Vinicius’s Rise
When Neymar was injured in a World Cup qualifier against Uruguay in October 2023, the weight of a demanding and expectant nation fell on Vinicius’s shoulders, and also those of Rodrygo and Raphinha. He went into the Copa América in 2024 having scored in another victorious Champions League final, but failed to hit the same heights. When Brazil lost to Uruguay in the quarter-finals on penalties, he was suspended.
Vinicius has now ripped the underachiever tag into pieces. He saved Brazil with a moment of brilliance against Morocco, scoring the kind of goal he has been firing in at the Bernabéu for years. Brazil were criticised after that display but they have begun to enjoy themselves since, beating both Haiti and Scotland 3-0 to finish top of the group.
Vinicius’s World Cup Performance
Vinicius now looks happy in yellow and green; he was voted player of the match for all three group games. After scoring and setting up a goal against Haiti, he scored twice against Scotland. But for an intervention by VAR, he would have become the first Brazilian to score a hat-trick at a World Cup since Pelé in 1958.
The 25-year-old had nine goals in 49 caps before the tournament; now he has four in his last three. Walter Casagrande, the former Brazil player who is now a star pundit, says Vinicius is eating from the same table as Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé, competing as he is for the tournament’s Golden Boot and Golden Ball.
Raphinha’s Struggles
Raphinha, a Barcelona star, continues to be ostracised in Brazil. He claimed that Brazil would “thrash Argentina, on and off the pitch” in their World Cup qualifier last year, and was widely mocked when they lost 4-1. The ridicule continued when he talked about footballers having to give up holidays to play in tournaments. He delivered another PR disaster days before the World Cup, saying he had nothing to prove to people in Brazil.
“I’ve delivered a lot for the national team,” Raphinha told reporters. “As far as possible, especially in this cycle, I managed to deliver good football. The affection of the Brazilian fans is really different from the people abroad who follow me daily. If I have to prove myself, it’s for me, for my parents, my children, my wife. I understand there are people who don’t like my football. It’s OK.”
The tournament has not gone his way so far. He picked up a hamstring injury in Brazil’s opener and has been replaced by Rayan, who was impressive against Scotland and is expected to keep his place for the last-32 match against Japan. Raphinha is likely to be back in time for the quarter-finals, where Brazil may face England.
Ancelotti’s Influence
Vinicius has thrived under Carlo Ancelotti, who took him to dizzying heights in Madrid. Ancelotti employs a perfect mix of strictness, fun and protection. He has made a bet with Vinicius to encourage him to score more headers. Ancelotti has said Vinicius “doesn’t do much work without the ball”, but he is pressing at this tournament and it is yielding goals.
Vinicius clearly admires his manager, saying: “He is one of the best coaches in the world. He understands players very well and adapts to them. He came here and understood how we should play. It has worked. We are going to evolve a lot during the competition. He’s going to grow the team during the tournament.”
Looking Ahead
When we interviewed Vinicius six years ago, he said: “I hope I can make every Brazilian cheer for me one day.” With each big performance at this World Cup, he gets closer. The only way Raphinha can rip up the international underachiever tag is by doing it at a big tournament.
