Vinícius Júnior

Vinícius Júnior
Vinícius Jr. with Flamengo in the 2018 Copa Libertadores
Personal information
Full name Vinícius José Paixão de Oliveira Júnior
Date of birth (2000-07-12) 12 July 2000
Place of birth São Gonçalo, Brazil
Height 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in)[1]
Playing position Forward
Club information
Current team
 Real Madrid
Number 28
Youth career
2005–2017 Flamengo
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2017–2018 Flamengo 37 (7)
2018– Real Madrid B 3 (3)
2018– Real Madrid 2 (0)
National team‡
2015–2016 Brazil U15 10 (7)
2016–2017 Brazil U17 19 (17)
2018– Brazil U20 1 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 18:31, 6 October 2018 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 14 October 2018

Vinícius José Paixão de Oliveira Júnior (born 12 July 2000), commonly known as Vinícius Júnior or Vinícius Jr, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Spanish club Real Madrid.

On 23 May 2017, at the age of 16, Vinícius was sold by Flamengo to Real Madrid, effective after his 18th birthday.[2] He was originally scheduled to return to Brazil on loan in July 2018.[2]

In June 2017, Vinicius appeared at 39th place on The Telegraph's list of the best under-21 players in the world. He was the only player playing in South America at the time to appear on the list.[3]

Club career

Early career

Vinícius Júnior's football career began in 2006 when his father took him to one of the branch offices of Flamengo in the Mutuá neighborhood of São Gonçalo where he lived.

The son of a poor family, Vinícius moved to Abolição with one of his uncles to be closer to Flamengo's training grounds, Ninho do Urubu (the "Vultures' Nest").[4]

In 2007, in addition to his training at Flamengo's academy in São Gonçalo, he began futsal classes at Canto do Rio, a famous club in Niterói. He remained there until 2010.[4]

In 2009 when Vinícius was 9 years old, his parents took him to futsal tryouts for Flamengo. The club saw potential in him but asked him to return when he was a year older. He chose not to return for futsal. Instead, in August 2010, he took the test for Flamengo's football team and passed.[4]

Flamengo

Youth

Vinícius was signed to a youth contract by Flamengo at age 10, and from the point onward was treated as a top prospect in the program.

He was called up to the Brazil under-15 national team at the age of 13. In 2015, Vinícius lead Flamengo to win the Copa Votorantim, one of the major under-15 football tournaments in Brazil. He was the top scorer of the tournament with 6 goals in 9 matches.

In 2016, Vinícius moved to the under-17 team, again a year younger than his teammates. Again he excelled, scoring 10 goals and leading the league in assists, delivering the 2016 Under-17 Rio de Janeiro State League title to Flamengo.

He led Flamengo to victory in the São Paulo Youth Cup, the largest under-20 football competition in Brazil. Even though he was 3 years younger than the maximum age, Vinícius was one of the stars of the tournament.

Flamengo signed Vinícius to a three-year professional contract as soon as he turned 16 (the minimum age that a player is allowed by law to sign a professional contract) with a buyout clause of €30 million and the club retaining 90% of his economic rights. Major European clubs like Barcelona and Real Madrid were among the first to express interest in signing the young striker after his outstanding performances at the youth level. In May 2017, Real Madrid offered €45 million to bring the striker to Spain when he turns 18 the following year and international transfer is permitted.

Professional

Vinícius debuted for Flamengo on 13 May 2017 as an 82nd-minute substitute in a Brazilian Série A 1–1 draw against Atlético Mineiro.[5][6] Two days later he extended his contract with the club from 2019 until 2022, with a significant salary increase and a buyout clause increase from €30 million to €45 million.[7] This contract renewal was reported as being part of the transfer process of Vinícius to Real Madrid, an agreement reached between the two clubs in Gávea that week with an obligation to sell the young player in July 2018.[8]

On 10 August 2017, Vinícius scored the first professional goal of his career in a Copa Sudamericana second round leg 2 match against Palestino in a 5–0 win for Flamengo. He scored one goal, 30 seconds after being substituted on in the 72nd minute. On 19 August 2017, Vinícius scored his first Brazilian Série A goals for Flamengo, in a 2–0 win against Atlético Goianiense.[9][10][11][12][13]

Real Madrid

On 23 May 2017, Spanish club Real Madrid signed a contract to acquire Vinícius, effective after his 18th birthday on 12 July 2018 (as age 18 is the minimum age for international transfer).[2] He transferred for a reported fee of €46 million, which was at the time, the second most expensive sale of a player the history of Brazilian football (behind only Neymar), the largest amount received by a Brazilian club for a transfer (Neymar had cost Barcelona €86 million but Santos only received €17 million), and the highest amount ever paid by a club for a footballer under the age of 19.[14][15]

On 20 July 2018, Madrid officially presented Vinícius as a Real Madrid player.[16] He made his debut on 29 September 2018, coming in as an 87th minute substitute in a goalless draw against Atlético Madrid,[17] becoming the first-ever Madrid senior player to be born after the turn of the millennium.[18]

International career

On 30 October 2015, Vinicius Júnior was called up for Brazil by coach Guilherme Dalla Déa for the South America Under-15 Championship. Vinícius and Brazil won the under-15 title and he was the 2nd top-scorer of the tournament with 6 goals.

On 24 June 2016, Vinícius was called up for a friendly against Chile and scored two goals and provided two assists in the 4–2 victory.

In March 2017, Vinícius debuted in the Under-17 South American Championship for Brazil with a goal in a 3–0 victory over Peru.[19] In the final stage, he scored two goals in a 3–0 win over Ecuador and two goals in a 3–0 victory over Colombia, securing Brazil's place in the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup in India.[20][21]

After leading Brazil to win the Under-17 South American Championship, Vinícius Júnior was named the tournament's best player and was top goal-scorer with 7 goals.[22]

Style of play

Shortly after his arrival at Real in July 2018, ESPN FC journalist Dermot Corrigan described Vinícius as a "zippy left winger or second striker".[23]

Career statistics

Club

As of 6 October 2018
Club Season League Cup Continental Other1 Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Flamengo 2017 Série A 253407[lower-alpha 1]11[lower-alpha 2]0374
2018 124205[lower-alpha 3]213[lower-alpha 4]43210
Total 377601231446914
Real Madrid Castilla 2018–19 Segunda División B 33———33
Real Madrid 2018–19 La Liga 2000000020
Total 4210601231447417
  1. ↑ Appearance(s) in Copa Sudamericana.
  2. ↑ Appearance(s) in Primeira Liga of Brazil.
  3. ↑ Appearance(s) in Copa Libertadores.
  4. ↑ Appearance(s) in Campeonato Carioca.

1 Includes UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup matches.

Honours

International

Brazil Youth

Individual

Awards

References

  1. ↑ Real Madrid profile
  2. 1 2 3 "Official Announcement: Vinicius Junior" (Press release). Real Madrid C.F. 23 May 2017. Retrieved 3 December 2017.
  3. ↑ "Jornal põe Jesus, Gabigol e Vinicius Jr. em lista de melhores sub-21 do mundo". Globo Esporte (in Portuguese). 20 June 2017. Retrieved 7 June 2018.
  4. 1 2 3 "Flamengo dá aumento de salário e eleva multa de Vinícius Júnior para 45 mi de euros". Globo Esporte (in Portuguese). 4 April 2017. Retrieved 7 June 2018.
  5. ↑ "No duelo de favoritos, Flamengo e Atlético-MG empatam na estreia, e Maracanã vê estreia de joia de 16 anos". espn.com.br. 13 May 2017. Retrieved 14 May 2017.
  6. ↑ "El 'merengue' Vinicius Jr. debuta a los 16 años como profesional". Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). 13 May 2017. Retrieved 14 May 2017.
  7. ↑ "Flamengo dá aumento de salário e eleva multa de Vinícius Júnior para 45 mi de euros". Estadão Esportes (in Portuguese). 16 May 2017. Retrieved 7 June 2018.
  8. ↑ "Another step on the way to Real: Vinicius Junior renews with Flamengo". Globo Esporte (in Portuguese). 15 May 2017. Retrieved 7 June 2018.
  9. ↑ "Enfim, o gol: após 385 minutos, Vinicius Junior desencanta e quebra o gelo no Fla". Globo Esporte (in Portuguese). Retrieved 20 August 2017.
  10. ↑ "Vinicius Junior makes first start". Marta. Retrieved 7 June 2018.
  11. ↑ "Da atuação relâmpago aos 90 minutos: Vinicius Júnior é protagonista pela 1ª vez". Globo Esporte (in Portuguese). 20 August 2017. Retrieved 7 June 2018.
  12. ↑ "Emelec x Flamengo - Taça Libertadores 2018 - globoesporte.com". globoesporte.com (in Portuguese). Retrieved 10 August 2018.
  13. ↑ "New Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior in tears after playing final game for Flamengo". Sport360. 11 June 2018. Retrieved 13 June 2018.
  14. ↑ sport, Guardian (23 May 2017). "Real Madrid sign 16-year-old Vinícius Júnior from Flamengo for £39.6m". the Guardian. Retrieved 20 July 2018.
  15. ↑ "Real Madrid sign Vinicius Junior from Flamengo for reported £38m fee". Sky Sports. Retrieved 20 July 2018.
  16. ↑ "Vinicius Jr. presentation at the Santiago Bernabéu". Real Madrid C.F. 20 July 2018.
  17. ↑ "Fabulous Madrid derby has everything but goals". marca.com. 29 September 2018.
  18. ↑ "Vinicius Junior makes Real Madrid history in derby cameo". Goal.com. 29 September 2018.
  19. ↑ "CONMEBOL – SUB 17 CHILE 2017 FASE INICIAL GRUPO B – FECHA 1". CONMEBOL.com. 24 February 2017. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
  20. ↑ "CONMEBOL – SUB 17 CHILE 2017 FASE FINAL – FECHA 3". CONMEBOL.com. 13 March 2017. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
  21. ↑ "CONMEBOL – SUB 17 CHILE 2017 FASE FINAL – FECHA 4". CONMEBOL.com. 16 March 2017. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
  22. 1 2 "Vinicius y un protagonismo estratégico". CONMEBOL.com. 20 March 2017. Retrieved 14 May 2017.
  23. ↑ "International Champions Cup: Future stars of top Premier League, European clubs". ESPN FC. 19 July 2018. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.