Vinicius Junior shines: Bouncing back amidst public scrutiny
Vinicius Junior, a Real Madrid and Brazil national team footballer, has had a challenging few months regarding public relations. The 24-year-old drew widespread attention when he was not awarded the Ballon d'Or for the 2023/2024 season, after which he remarked, "I will do it 10 times if I have to." While the goal remains distant, his current statistics suggest he is on the right track.
When you think of Real Madrid, you think of Vinicius Junior. And vice versa. Despite a weak start to the season, particularly in the Champions League, Los Blancos are in second place, trailing the surging FC Barcelona by six points but having played one game fewer.
One of the brightest stars in Carlo Ancelotti's team, the Brazilian Vinicius Junior, has become the target of ridicule and attacks from fans worldwide. This is mainly due to his outspoken stance against racism, from which he is a frequent victim, and his disappointment over not winning the Ballon d'Or, an award many expected him to receive until the last moments.
This situation comes amid results-related problems for Los Blancos, notably their memorable 4-0 loss to FC Barcelona at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, after which Vinicius was cited as one of the reasons for Real Madrid's poor performance. The 24-year-old has also been underwhelming with the national team, scoring only five goals in 37 matches. However, when looking at the current season's statistics, the Brazilian is apparently performing better than ever before.
Vinicius Junior better than ever before
In the current 2024/2025 season, across all club matches, Vinicius Junior has played in 17 matches, spending over 24 hours on the pitch. During this time, he has scored 12 goals and made seven assists, marking the best performance of the 24-year-old Brazilian's career.
Evidence of this was highlighted by "The Athletic" journalist Mario Cortegana. He calculated that at the same stage of the previous season, Vini Jr. contributed to a goal every 88 minutes on average, whereas he currently does so every 75 minutes.
The arrival of Kylian Mbappe at Real Madrid has not deterred the Brazilian, who remains the team's biggest star. He is in second place in the La Liga scoring standings, surpassed only by Robert Lewandowski (14 goals and 2 assists). Vini ranks fifth in the Champions League standings, but is merely one goal behind the leader Raphinha.
