Vini Jr.’s face was highlighted in the headlines of some of the biggest news portals in the world this Tuesday (17) after he was elected the best football player in the world by FIFA. With the award, Brazil once again has a representative at the top of the list of the sport’s highest entity after 17 years.
The last Brazilian to be voted the best football player in the world was Kaká, in 2007.
Vini Jr. is the sixth Brazilian player to win the award. Rodri, a Spaniard who won the Ballon d’Or trophy, came second, and Jude Bellingham, an Englishman, came third.
But the trajectory of the player who began his career at Flamengo and today makes history at Spanish club Real Madrid is full of controversies, cases of racism and great achievements.
BBC News Brasil selected five highlights from the 24-year-old athlete’s career:
1 – Flamengo’s diamond
Vinícius Júnior started his career at Flamengo. There was already an expectation for his debut in the professional team, which took place in 2017. A year later, he stood out for the club for his performance in the Copa Libertadores da América and attracted the attention of European clubs.
The Rio team received 45 million euros (around R$287 million, at current prices) for the sale of Vini Jr. to Real Madrid. At the time, the player was 17 years old and equaled Rodrygo as the fifth highest amount raised in Brazil from the sale of a football player.
2 – Europe and Brazilian National Team
At the age of 18, Vini Jr. began his career at Real Madrid and adapted to the European style of football, which is faster, more technical and requires more strength. The Brazilian stood out and quickly replaced great names in the club’s history, such as Cristiano Ronaldo.
At just 13 years old, Vini Jr. wore the yellow shirt of the Brazilian under-15 football team for the first time. He has since been promoted to the first team, featuring in the Copa América in 2021 and the 2022 World Cup.
He has not yet won a championship with the Seleção, but he stood out as one of the main revelations of the 2022 World Cup.
3 – Champions League
In 2022, Vini became a hero for Real Madrid fans when he scored the final goal against Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League, Europe’s main club tournament.
The goal in the final was decisive for him to gain favor with the fans and prove that he was the best choice to wear the number 7 shirt for the Merengue team. He became the 11th Brazilian to score in a Champions League final.
In the 2023/24 season, the Brazilian player was also Real Madrid’s highlight in the campaign that made the team Spanish champions.
4 – Racism
As if the high level of the players in the Champions League were not enough, Vini Jr. still needs to maintain emotional control to face the various cases of racism against him in Europe.
The BBC listed at least ten moments in which the current best player in the world was the target of racist insults during football games. Most of them are racist insults made by fans in the stands.
Some of them were identified and punished, mainly for calling Vini Jr. a monkey and making gestures imitating the animal.
One of the cases that attracted the most attention was when a group of Atlético de Madrid fans hung a doll dressed in the Brazilian’s shirt, simulating the player’s hanging. The doll still had hateful phrases against the merengue team’s idol.
5 – Awards and recognition
After standing out in Europe, Vini Jr. was chosen in 2022 as the best young player in European football by UEFA.
In 2023, the Brazilian player won the Sócrates award, which recognizes football professionals who carry out the best social actions outside the pitch.
From then on, the first rumors began to appear in the press and a strong campaign on social media for him to be elected the best in the world.
The award ceremony took place this Tuesday, in Qatar.
A month after coming second in the Ballon d’Or — when Real Madrid and Vini Jr. himself boycotted the award ceremony organized by France Football magazine that gave the best player trophy to Spaniard Rodri — the Brazilian makes a dream come true, in the words from him.
“It was so far away that it seemed impossible to get here. I was a child who only played football barefoot in the streets of São Gonçalo (Rio de Janeiro), close to poverty and crime. Getting here is very important for me, I’m doing it for everyone children who think it’s impossible to get here,” he said upon receiving the trophy in the United Arab Emirates, where the star is preparing to compete in the club world championship.
Vini Jr. becomes the second youngest Brazilian player to win the award, at 24 years and 5 months old. Ahead of him, there is only Ronaldo “Fenômeno”, who won the trophy at the age of 20 and still maintains the mark of being the youngest in history to be voted best in the world.
In third place is Ronaldinho “Gaúcho”, who won the title at 24 years and 9 months.
This text was originally published here.
