Vinicius Junior could scarcely conceal his delight after Brazil’s 3-0 victory over Haiti on Saturday. Truth be told, he made little effort to. There was not an iota of reticence in his grin. In an all-scourging world that lacks a moral compass, not acting stoically could be precarious. Yet, the standard-bearer of football’s most decorated team does exactly that. At a Brazil press conference in 2024, he broke down in tears. Not snivelling, but bawling. Unrelenting racism testing his tolerance threshold, Vinicius had announced: “I am losing the will to play football.”
Two years later, you would find it hard to believe he ever contemplated retirement. Tricks forged in the favelas, showboat celebrations and the improvisation that has become increasingly rare in elite football have all returned. When confronted with the inevitable question — what had changed after an unconvincing 1-1 stalemate against Morocco? — Vinicius offered a remarkably simple explanation: “Today I played in a different position. The coach asked me to.”
Across the two press conferences, one figure remained constant. Carlo Ancelotti.
Tears at a press conference, in a sport like football — high on a concoction of masochism and masculinity — predictably invited criticism from some quarters. Suffer if you must, but do not cry. Until Ancelotti, then still Real Madrid manager, publicly defended his forward and described him as “the most poorly treated footballer in the world”.
His role in rekindling Vinicius’ interest in football cannot be debated.
And neither can be his influence on the 25-year-old’s performance against Haiti — a ricochet from his shot leading to Matheus Cunha’s opener, a defence-splitting pass leading to the second, and finally, a goal to his name. Forty-five minutes of Vinicius being at his best. And all it needed was a minor adjustment from Ancelotti: “He (Ancelotti) asked me to play inside, between the two centre-backs. I don’t usually play there, but whenever he tells me to drop back there, I score goals. I need to listen to him more. I’m sure that when he gets to the dressing room, he will say that he understands football really well.”
That, he certainly does. One need not invoke his record five Champions League triumphs — most by a manager — to establish as much. Fortunately for Vinicius, the Italian also understands his game really well, and what facilitates its flourishing.
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To be termed the ‘New Neymar’ in Brazil is hardly a distinction. Desperate to find a new superhero, the trophy-starved nation offers it to any kid who emulates a similar style. Vinicius, however, appeared a worthy heir. Despite making only two senior appearances for Flamengo, Real Madrid scout Juni Calafat deemed him worthy of a €46 million investment. Having lost Neymar to Barcelona, Madrid could scarcely afford another miscalculation.
And Vinicius chose the most well-trodden path of winning over rivals: performing at a derby. His brace prevented a defeat against Atletico Madrid B. But Julen Lopetegui found him too raw to be trusted on a regular basis, and Zinedine Zidane brought in his preferred winger, Eden Hazard. As for support from the teammates, there was barely any. Quite the contrary, in fact. At half-time during a match against Borussia Monchengladbach, Karim Benzema was reportedly caught telling Ferland Mendy, “Don’t pass to him, brother. I swear he is playing against us.”
More than dribbling
In his first two seasons, Vinicius had 22 goal contributions in 69 matches. At a club like Real Madrid, coupled with the Euros debited, the numbers were damning. Then came Ancelotti.
That, dribbling came naturally to the player, was known. Extensively documented. But what was uncontainable in Brazil’s junior leagues was inefficacious in La Liga. Vinicius often cut an isolated figure in games; disassociated from the play. Defenders could predict every move of the winger. Accordingly, an Ancelotti masterclass: dribbling would be an accessory in Vinicius’ game, should need be, but not the centrepiece. That would be his pace and finishing instead.
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Operating centrally in half-spaces, as opposed to being glued on the flanks, Vinicius would attack gaps between defenders and exploit them with his pace in transitions. Unsurprisingly, he was more involved in the game than ever before, and more efficacious, too. Under Ancelotti, Vinicius had 157 goal contributions in 198 matches — 0.79 per game; almost twice that of the corresponding figure without Ancelotti (0.40).
Despite his Real Madrid numbers, however, the ruthlessness vanished whenever he traded the white for Brazil’s yellow.
Only 12 goal contributions across 39 matches — under four managers in this period — would earn him scorn of the fervent fans. That has changed now. Under Ancelotti, he has nine goal contributions in merely 12 matches.
For Brazil, Vinicius has never been this pernicious on opponents. He has never been this devastating. When Brazilian polling institute Datafolha asked citizens whether they expect Seleção to win the trophy in America, only 29% responded in the affirmative. Should it have risen over the last few days, be it by a negligible margin, it is for the ‘Vincelotti’ pair.
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