Vinícius Júnior

Vinícius Júnior scored Real Madrid's second goal in the 2024 Champions League final. On Saturday 1 June 2024 at Wembley, he swept in the 83rd-minute goal that gave Real a 2-0 win over Borussia Dortmund and their 15th European Cup [15]. He had already struck the winning goal in the 2021-22 final [2]. The club's own profile lists two European Cups among his honours [1].

He was born Vinícius José Paixão de Oliveira Júnior on 12 July 2000 in São Gonçalo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil [1] [2]. Real Madrid lists him as a forward [1]. The Anadolu Agency report on his 2024 award calls him a Brazilian forward [4].

From Flamengo to Madrid

He left Flamengo partway through the 2018 Brazilian season to move to Spain [16]. The deal was first agreed in May 2017, when he was 16 [16]. Because of his age he could not move to Europe until he turned 18 [16]. Real Madrid unveiled him in July 2018, and the reported fee of €45 million made him, in Sports Illustrated's words, the most expensive Real signing since Rodríguez in 2014 [16].

Two European Cups and the goals behind them

The Real Madrid profile lists two European Cups, three Club World Cups, two European Super Cups, three national league titles, one Spanish Cup and three Spanish Super Cups among his club honours [1]. The same page lists a South American Under-17 Championship title, The Best award and two Club World Cup Golden Ball awards [1]. It also records him as Club World Cup final MVP twice and Spanish Super Cup final MVP once [1].

Britannica credits him with the winning goal in the 2021-22 Champions League final and with one of the two goals in the 2023-24 final [2]. The 2024 win was the second Champions League title he has won with the club [15] [2]. Britannica's awards list shows the UEFA Champions League for both 2022 and 2024 [2].

The Best and the Ballon d'Or

Anadolu Agency reported on 17 December 2024 that he had won the 2024 Best FIFA Men's Player award [4]. The men's Ballon d'Or went another way. Rodri, the Manchester City midfielder, took 1,170 votes out of a possible 1,485, while Vinícius finished on 1,129 points, a margin of 41 [5] [6].

Goal reported that he had vowed to come back stronger after the controversy over the 2024 result [6]. In the 2025 Ballon d'Or rankings he placed 16th among men [7].

Brazil, the qualifiers and the 2026 World Cup

In March 2025, in a match the AllAfrica report described as part of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, he struck the winner for Brazil against Colombia in stoppage time [9]. Brazil won 2-1, and his shot in the ninth minute of added time took a slight deflection off a defender's head before flying in [9].

At the 2026 World Cup he scored twice in Brazil's final Group C match, a 3-0 win over Scotland on 24 June 2026 [11]. Al Jazeera reported that the win came in front of a full house at Miami Stadium [11]. His first goal came in the seventh minute and the second arrived on the stroke of half-time [11].

Racism in Spain and the fight against it

In 2023 he was sent off at Valencia's Mestalla stadium after an altercation with the home players. It followed his complaint about fans who were insulting him [12]. Afterwards he posted: "It was not the first time, nor the second, nor the third. Racism is normal in LaLiga" [12]. He added: "I am strong and I will go all the way against the racists" [12]. NPR reported that he had faced this kind of abuse since moving to Spain four years earlier [13].

Four men were arrested in Madrid on suspicion of hanging a mannequin wearing his shirt from a highway bridge near Real Madrid's training ground. Police called it a suspected hate crime [17]. Real Madrid said the chants constituted a hate crime and filed a complaint [17]. He called footage of the incidents he had experienced in Spain "inhuman" and wrote that the league once belonging to Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Cristiano and Messi "now belongs to racists" [17]. He said he wanted "above all, to inspire and bring more light to our fight" [17].

On Thursday 15 June 2023, at 14:23 UK time, FIFA president Gianni Infantino said he had asked Vinícius to lead a group of players who would propose tougher penalties for discrimination. In his words: "I asked Vinicius to lead this group of players that will present stricter punishments against racism." He added: "We need harder punishments. We can't tolerate any more racism in football" [18].

The abuse has continued to draw sanctions. In April 2026 UEFA suspended Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni for six matches for discriminatory conduct, in a case about abuse aimed at Vinícius [14]. The decision was announced on a Friday, and a further three-match ban would be subject to a two-year probationary period [14]. The sanction was reported by Reuters [14].

A contract to 2032

Real Madrid announced the extension "in a statement on Thursday", reported on 6 August 2026 [8]. It keeps him at the club through 30 June 2032 [8]. The previous deal was due to expire in June 2027, and the extension removes the risk of Real losing him on a free transfer [8]. As of October 2026 his contract runs to 30 June 2032 [8].