VINICIUS JR HOW TO SHOCK THE WORLD AT 16 (AND 316 DAYS)
What were you doing aged 16? On second thoughts, maybe don’t dwell on that. But Vinicius Junior won’t want to forget that period of his life in a hurry. In May 2017, he became the second most expensive Brazilian footballing export of all time (behind Neymar) when Real Madrid struck a deal with Flamengo worth €46 million. Los Blancos announced the agreement just 10 days after Vinicius’ senior debut at the Maracana, where the grinning teenager had asked one of his heroes, Robinho – a former Real Madrid player himself – for a shirt swap at full-time.
Although Vinicius is the first senior Real Madrid player born in this millennium, he has been under the spotlight for close to a decade. Yet, as overwhelming as that may seem, the Rio de Janeiro native has coped extraordinarily well with the weight of a watching world on his shoulders. Aged 19, Vinicius has already made 50 first-team appearances for the Spanish giants, becoming an early favourite at the ever-demanding Bernabeu. In September 2019, he earned his first two Brazil caps under coach Tite, fulfilling a childhood dream of pulling on the famous Selecao shirt.
Despite his rapid rise, the Brazilian hasn’t had it all easy. His family couldn’t always afford the daily 70km commute from Sao Goncalo, an impoverished suburb of Rio,
