Vinicius Jr Profile: Biography, Career, Stats, Facts, News, Awards, Socials & More
Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr. is one of the world's best players despite being only 24 years old. Like many of his heroes, Vini played soccer as a child in the favelas of Sao Goncalo in Rio de Janeiro, joining Flamengo at six years old. He then moved to Real Madrid at the age of 18 and since then continues to lift trophies and win awards.
Vinicius Jr's Biography
Name | Vinicius Jose Paixao de Oliveira Junior |
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Date of Birth (DOB) | July 12, 2000 (24 years old) |
Height | 1.76 m |
Place of Birth | Sao Goncalo, Brazil |
Parents | José Paixao de Oliveira (Father) Tatiana Vinicius (Mother) |
Siblings | Alessandra (Sister) |
Current Club | Real Madrid |
Jersey Number | 7 |
Career
Youth Career
Youth Career | |
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Flamengo | 2006-2017 |
Senior Career
Senior Career | |
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Flamengo | 2017-2018 |
Real Madrid B | 2018 |
Real Madrid | 2018-Present |
Vinicius Jr's career started in 2006 at six when his father took him to the local branch associated with Flamengo soccer club. His family made the tough decision for him to live with his Uncle, who was closer to Flamengo's home stadium.
He started out playing Futsal, but after three years, Flamengo saw potential, and he transitioned to soccer. In 2010, after a successful trial, Vinicius joined the Flamengo youth team.
Vinicius made his first team debut in May 2017 at 16 in a Brazilian Serie A game against Atletico Mineiro. Three months later, he scored his first professional goal in a Copa Sudamericana match against Palestino. Nine days later, he scored a goal 30 seconds after coming on as a substitute, both at 17 years old.
Ten days after his debut, Vinicius Jr signed a pre-contract with Real Madrid, effective on his 18th birthday. On July 12, 2008, Los Blancos paid $47 million to Flamengo, with the Brazilian moving to Madrid. He debuted against Atletico Madrid on September 29, coming on for the final four minutes. Vinicius made his full debut in the Copa del Rey a month later, assisting two goals in the 4-0 win over Melilla.
The Brazilian netted his first goal for the club on November 3 against Real Valladolid, 10 minutes after coming on as a substitute.
Vinicius Jr.'s breakout season occurred in 2021-22 when he scored 16 goals and assisted 21. This helped Real Madrid win the Champions League and La Liga that season. Since then, he has won multiple trophies and has 132 goal contributions in his Los Blancos career.
International Career | Years |
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Brazil U15 | 2015-2016 |
Brazil U17 | 2016-2017 |
Brazil U20 | 2018-2019 |
Brazil | 2020-Present |
Vinicius Jr. made his international debut for Brazil at the U-15 South American Championship. Brazil won the tournament and Vinicius scored seven goals as the second-top scorer. He was named player of the tournament, which is why Flamengo signed him.
He made his move into the U-17 team, debuting against Chile U-17s, scoring twice. He scored 17 goals in 19 appearances for the U17 team, before making four appearances for the U-20 side.
At 19, he received his first call-up to the national team. However, injury prevented him from joining up, and he had to wait until 20 to make his debut. Vincius Jr. has yet to find the same form at the senior level, having just nine goal contributions in 37 games.
Honors & Awards
Team
Real Madrid
- La Liga: 2019–20, 2021–22, 2023–24
- Copa del Rey: 2022–23
- Supercopa de España: 2020, 2022, 2024
- UEFA Champions League: 2021–22, 2023–24
- UEFA Super Cup: 2022, 2024
- FIFA Club World Cup: 2018, 2022
- FIFA Intercontinental Cup: 2024
Brazil U15
- South American U-15 Championship: 2015
Brazil U17
- South American U-17 Championship: 2017
- BRICS U-17 Football Cup: 2016
Brazil
- Copa América: runner-up: 2021
Individual
- The Best FIFA Men's Player: 2024
- The Best FIFA Men's 11: 2024
- South American U-17 Championship Best Player: 2017
- La Liga Team of the Season: 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24
- UEFA Champions League Team of the Season: 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24
- UEFA Champions League Young Player of the Season: 2021–22
- UEFA Champions League Player of the Season: 2023–24
- FIFA Club World Cup Golden Ball: 2022
- FIFA Intercontinental Cup Golden Ball: 2024
- FIFA Intercontinental Cup Player of the Tournament: 2024
- FIFA FIFPRO Men's World 11: 2023, 2024
- Sócrates Award: 2023
- Samba Gold: 2023
- Globe Soccer Best Player of the Year: 2024
- Globe Soccer Best Forward: 2024
Facts
- When Vinicius Jr. initially joined Flamengo, he was seen as a left-back. The club soon realized their mistake after seeing his attacking talent.
- Vinicius is the youngest scorer in an El Clasico for Real Madrid, aged 19 years and 230 days.
- His footballing idol was Brazilian and one-time Barcelona forward Neymar.
- Vinicius Jr. nearly signed for Manchester United after scouts came to watch the Brazilan at just 14 years of age.
- The Brazilian always tries to give back to his country, forming a nonprofit organization called Vini Jr. Institute. It uses an app to help children ages 6-10 learn basic skills such as numeracy and reading.
- Vinicius Jr is a huge basketball fan, especially his former soccer team, Flamengo, and their basketball team.
Socials Media Accounts
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vinijr/
Videos & Pictures
Top Vinicius Jr. News Stories
Nike Releases "Can't Stop The Dance" Video After Vinicius Jr. Wins The Best FIFA Men's Player Award
Mohamed Salah Reveals Why He Voted For Real Madrid Ace Vinicius Jr In The Best FIFA Awards
Kylian Mbappe Reveals The Vinicius Jr Trait He Admires Most
Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr Wants To Be Paid Like A Galactico... And Has Leverage