Vinícius José Paixão de Oliveira Júnior, also known as Vinicius Junior, is currently one of the best forwards in world football and plays for Real Madrid CF and the Brazil National Team. He plays mostly on the left wing and is known for his dribbling skills and speed. Currently, he is one of the key players of a start-studded Real Madrid squad.
In this article, we will mainly discuss various details about Vinicius Jr. and will talk about how this amazing talent became one of the world’s best. Furthermore, we will also offer some details about his family, personal life, and early days. Later, you will also learn about his best footballing achievements in the last few years, as well as his footballing statistics. Hence, to get fully informed about Vinicius Junior, read on through to the end of the article.
Vinicius Junior – Bio, Personal Life, And Early Days
Born on 12th July 2000 in Sao Goncalo in Brazil, Vinicius Junior was born into a poor family, and at the age of five, he started his footballing career in the academy of Flamengo in Brazil. To start playing for Flamengo and to shorten his distance to the club’s training facility, Vinicius Jr. started to live in Abolicao with his uncle. Furthermore, he also started to receive financial help from the club as well.
From 2007 to 2010, Vinicius Jr. took futsal classes at Flamengo. However, later, he decided to play football instead, and in 2010, he passed his football tests at Flamengo. In the year 2017, Vinicius started for the Flamengo senior team in a draw against Atletico Mineiro. Later, he extended his contract with the club till 2022.
Real Madrid signed him in 2017, and after Vinicius’ birthday in July 2018, Real Madrid officially made his transfer for €46 million. On July 2018, he was presented as an official Real Madrid player and was given the number 28 jersey. Currently, Vinicius Jr. wears jersey number 20 for Real Madrid.
Vinicius Junior – Definitely Worth The Hype
Even after the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid, and despite the void in the left-forward role, Vinicius could not be a first choice for subsequent Real Madrid managers. However, Solari featured Vinicius in the El Classico against FC Barcelona, as he became the club’s youngest player to play a Classico in the 21st century.
Within a few minutes, Vinicius Jr. made his impact as he combined with the center forward Karim Benzema to set up a goal for Lucas Vasquez. In the same season, Vinicius Jr. was involved in 8 goals for his club in the Copa del Rey tournament. Subsequently, he became a regular starter for Real Madrid in La Liga, in the left-wing position. He also played his first UEFA Champions League knockout game against Ajax in Amsterdam.
On 28th February 2019, Vinicius was called up to the Brazil national team to play friendlies against Panama and the Czech Republic. He scored a debut goal for Brazil on 24th March 2022 against Chile in the World Cup qualification. He also played a big role for Brazil in the FIFA World Cup 2022 until they got eliminated by Croatia.
Vinicius Junior – Top Achievements As A Footballer
Currently, Vinicius Jr. is one of the key players in the Real Madrid squad and has been involved in many top-class gameplays with his teammates. Furthermore, in the last two-three years, he has won many accolades with the Real Madrid team, including two league titles, one UEFA Champions League trophy, and other tournaments, as well as important matches.
In 2022-23, in the FIFA Club World Cup match between Real Madrid and Al Hilal, Vinicius scored twice in the 5-3 win and got the FIFA Club World Cup Golden Ball.
Vinicius Junior Stats
The following are some of the important Vinicius Jr Stats that you must be aware of:
La Liga (Real Madrid CF)
| Year | Matches | Goals | Assists |
| 2018-19 | 18 | 2 | 0 |
| 2019-20 | 29 | 3 | 1 |
| 2020-21 | 35 | 3 | 3 |
| 2021-22 | 35 | 17 | 10 |
| 2022-23 | 27 | 9 | 6 |
Spanish Supercup (Supercopa de España – Real Madrid CF)
| Year | Matches | Goals | Assists |
| 2020 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 2023 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
UEFA Champions League (Real Madrid CF)
| Year | Matches | Goals | Assists |
| 2018-19 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019-20 | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| 2020-21 | 12 | 3 | 0 |
| 2021-22 | 13 | 4 | 0 |
| 2022-23 | 9 | 6 | 0 |
Club World Cup (Real Madrid CF)
| Year | Matches | Goals | Assists |
| 2018 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
UEFA Super Cup (Real Madrid CF)
| Year | Matches | Goals | Assists |
| 2022 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Copa Del Rey
| Year | Matches | Goals | Assists |
| 2018-19 | 8 | 2 | 6 |
International Champions Cup (Real Madrid CF)
| Year | Matches | Goals | Assists |
| 2018 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| 2019 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
World Cup (Brazil National Team)
| Year | Matches | Goals | Assists |
| 2022 | 4 | 1 | 2 |
World Cup Qualifiers (Brazil National Team)
| Year | Matches | Goals | Assists |
| 2020-2022 | 7 | 1 | 0 |
Copa America (Brazil National Team)
| Year | Matches | Goals | Assists |
| 2021 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
Being one of the best dribblers in the world, Vinicius also excels with his speed, sprints, and agility. In the last few years at Real Madrid, he also worked a lot on his passing ability, scoring ability, and finishing.
How Tall Is Vinicius Junior?
Vinicius Junior is not one of the tallest footballers, but he is not short either. His height is 1.76 meters, or 5 feet 9.3 inches.
Vinicius Junior Age
Born on 12th July 2000, Vinicius Jr.’s age, as of April 2023, is twenty-two years. In the month of July 2023, Vinicius will be twenty-three years old.
Final Thoughts
Hope this article was helpful for you in getting a general idea of how Vinicius Junior became one of the key players for not just his club Real Madrid CF, but also for his national side. He has surely lived up to his hype and is already one of the best footballers in the world.
In the future, he is expected to compete with Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland. Already, he has won many awards and recognitions with Real Madrid.
What do you like the best about Vinicius Junior? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
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