Two years in the past, Vinicius Junior was on the prime of the world. He had established himself as one among, if not the perfect, participant in European soccer, racking up 24 targets and 11 assists in 39 appearances throughout the 2023/24 season and spearheading Actual Madrid to the LaLiga and UEFA Champions League titles. It appeared pure, then, that the Brazilian ahead can be rewarded with the 2024 Ballon d’Or award; as an alternative, Manchester Metropolis’s Rodri pulled off a shock upset and claimed the trophy.
While Rodri hasn’t fairly been the identical ever since, falling prey to a sequence of accidents, Vinicius hasn’t recovered both. The trauma of shedding out on the award, mixed with having to cede the highlight to incoming striker Kylian Mbappe, has compelled him to take a backseat. He’s now not the protagonist – whereas Mbappe was taking Spanish soccer by storm in 2025, Vinicius racked up simply 22 targets and 19 assists in 58 appearances throughout the 2024/25 season. It wasn’t lengthy earlier than pundits like have been beginning to query what occurred to him.
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It’s been even worse this season, with Vinicius compiling simply six targets and eight assists in 27 appearances. In reality, Vinicius’ most memorable second of the marketing campaign wasn’t a objective or an unbelievable particular person play; as an alternative, it was him petulantly trudging off the pitch throughout Actual Madrid’s win towards Barcelona earlier within the season. And while Vinicius would later apologise for his antics, .
Vinicius Junior of Actual Madrid CF reacts to being substituted in the course of the Spanish League, LaLiga EA Sports activities, soccer match performed between Actual Madrid C.F. and FC Barcelona at Santiago Bernabeu stadium on October 26, 2025, in Madrid, Spain. AFP7 26/10/2025 ONLY FOR USE IN SPAIN
“Vinicius has quite a bit to study,” said ex-Brazil worldwide Carlos Alberto Pintinho in an . “There was a time once I did give my opinion on it, and I used to be very essential of him, which created an enormous downside. I feel he ought to give attention to enjoying soccer and quit the little issues which can be ineffective. Again then, I used to be criticised for my opinion, however now, individuals inform me, ‘You have been proper.’ He’s a great footballer, and he’s received to cease the nonsense and simply play good soccer every match, he can’t maintain doing the little issues which can be nugatory, that don’t reward you. I do know my feedback reached him, once I was interviewed by Cadena SER, I do know he listened to my feedback of ‘Follow enjoying soccer and cease that nonsense.’ I feel he’s improved a bit, however he nonetheless has quite a bit to enhance. I’ve nothing towards Vinicius; he has his approach of being, however he does issues that one shouldn’t.”
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Maybe one of many greatest causes for Vinicius’ regarding run of kind is his contract scenario. The Brazilian is pushing for a wage that’s tantamount to Mbappe’s wage, and it’s evident that Actual Madrid should not keen to provide him that type of cash. With a contract till 2027, he realizes that his time at Actual might very nicely be operating out. But when Vinicius can’t flip it round, he may not simply be calling it quits for his Actual Madrid journey – however his whole journey in Europe’s prime 5 leagues.
Towards Barcelona on Sunday within the Supercopa de Espana Closing, Vinicius lastly delivered a efficiency that reminded individuals of why he was within the Ballon d’Or dialog within the first place. Receiving the ball on the midway line, Vinicius squared up towards Jules Kounde and blitzed previous the French fullback, earlier than permitting Kounde and Pedri to make up the house and double-mark him. Exhibiting no indicators of mercy, he then nutmegged Kounde, opened up the taking pictures angle, after which finessed the ball into the proper nook.
Picture by way of Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Photographs
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With Mbappe unavailable, Vinicius stepped up and delivered a sensational efficiency, racking up 5 pictures (4 on the right track), finishing 4/8 dribbles, gained 5/10 floor duels, and have become Actual Madrid’s joint-all-time main objective contributor in finals: in distinction to Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo, who’ve registered 16 targets and assists in 29 and 18 finals respectively, Vinicius wanted simply 15 matches to attain 16 on the season.
Vinicius might not be as medical as Mbappe, nevertheless it’s evident that he’s nonetheless a famous person (no less than when he desires to be). He’s on one other degree to the likes of Rodrygo Goes, Arda Guler, Franco Mastantuono and Brahim Diaz – he’s a participant who can take the sport by the scruff of its neck and assert himself towards the world’s greatest groups. The query for Actual Madrid is trifold: can Vinicius’ 10/10 performances outnumber his 5/10 performances? Can Vinicius knock off his melodramatic antics and discover a some office chemistry? And may Actual Madrid and Vinícius discover a wage settlement that works for everybody?
If the reply isn’t any, then Vinicius might very nicely discover himself enjoying in Saudi Arabia once more subsequent season – solely this time, for a whole season.