“I apologize, and I will fight for our dream of returning to the top of the world,” Vinicius said, noting that remaining silent would have been unfair after the support the team received throughout the tournament.

“I know how much I prepared, how focused I was and how badly I wanted this for all of you and for my family,” he added. He shared the message alongside a picture of himself lying on the pitch, capturing the disappointment of Brazil’s early exit.

A heartfelt message

The message did not end there, as it was longer and much more significant. Vinicius insisted Brazil had enough quality to reach the later stages of the tournament, but acknowledged that the team failed to achieve its goal.

“We had a team strong enough to go further, but we couldn’t do it,” Vinicius stated. He also reflected on what it means to represent his country at a World Cup. “Wearing the national team shirt is the greatest pride of my life, and leaving the World Cup in the Round of 16 is a feeling that is difficult to explain.”

Vinicius did not just stop at words. Despite the failure of the Brazilian national team, Vinicius was one of the most decisive players for the Verdeamarela in the World Cup, registering four goals and one assist. However, that performance did not prevent the team from equaling one of its worst historical performances in the tournament.

It was a performance that seemed destined for more for Brazil, leaving behind sad moments with Neymar Jr.’s final World Cup. But everyone knows how they are, and they will surely come back stronger than ever.

“Ancelotti decides before the match who will take the penalties, and he chose Bruno. I’ve never shied away from responsibility. I take penalties at Real Madrid when the coach chooses me,” Vinicius Jr. said.

He also backed up his teammate Guimaraes. “The coach chose Bruno to take the penalty because he had been training them well over the last few days. Unfortunately, these things happen in the game. Unfortunately, Bruno missed, but I hope this doesn’t tarnish his career with the national team.”

Vinicius Jr.’s numbers from the penalty spot

Per Transfermarkt, Vinicius Jr. has taken 19 penalties in his career, scoring 13 and missing six in his career. That is a mere 68.4% efficiency from the spot. Per stats site OptaJoe, that is a below average number, as normally a decent penalty taker oscilates between 75% to 82%.

Hence, it’s not like avoiding Vinicius to shoot the penalty was an outrageous decision by Ancelotti. In fact, it was a good one. It just so happened that Bruno Guimaraes wasn’t able to score, but Vini didn’t guarantee a score by any means.

Brazil had too many chances to beat Norway

Not only did Brazil had two penalties in this game (Neymar scored the other one), but they arguably created more clear chances than Norway in this game. Now, Brazil are out of the 2026 World Cup.

Besides the two penalties, Norway’s goalkeeper Nyland was incredible, and Endrick missed a wide open shot as well. Hence, Brazil have no one to blame but themselves for their worst finish in World Cup history.

“We looked at a yearly statistic of our players. Neymar was our best penalty-taker followed by Igor Thiago and Raphinha. After Raphinha, Guimaraes was the best,” Carlo Ancelotti said during his press conference. “After him came Martinelli. We chose Bruno Guimaraes because we thought he was the best penalty-taker on the pitch.“

Ancelotti stood by the decision. He knows hindsight is 20/20, and won’t go against what him and his staff thought going into the game. However, the fact that Vinicius wasn’t even among the top-five options is something that makes a lot of noise. Vinicius later admitted Ancelotti preferred Guimaraes, claiming that he would’ve taken the penalty if chosen.

Vinicius’ numbers

The fact that Vinicius wasn’t among Brazil’s best penalty takers statistically paints a deflating picture for both the team and the striker. And the worst part may be that numbers don’t lie, yet most fans still would’ve rather had Vini take the penalty than Guimaraes. It’s easy to say now after seeing the end result, but it was also true before Guimaraes even had his attempt denied by Orjan Nyland.

Vinicius has scored 13 penalties in 19 attempts during his career, according to Transfermarkt. For Brazil, his numbers are even more head-scratching. Vini has converted just one of the three penalties he has taken while wearing the Verde Amarela.

Still, on the biggest stages, fans around the world expect their best players to rise to the occasion, regardless of what the stats say. Neymar, despite battling injuries and barely playing any minutes, did just that by scoring from the spot. In the eyes of many fans, the fact that Vinicius Jr. didn’t step up signals a lack of character and may paint a clear picture of the identity crisis that has plagued Brazil for decades.

Brazil’s crisis extends

Nothing has been the same for the Selecao since the 2014 World Cup. Would Vinicius have been allowed to take the penalty had he asked for the ball, or would Ancelotti and his staff have stopped him?

That will remain a mystery, but the image will haunt Brazil fans for decades: Guimaraes squandering his penalty while Vinicius stands off to the side of the penalty area, hands on his hips and making no effort to chase the rebound.

A picture is worth a thousand words, and this one may reflect broken trust inside the locker room, as well as a dream that has come crashing down in pieces.

Brazil’s penalty takers

Ancelotti’s confession after the heartbreaking elimination left room for many questions. First and foremost, considering the game between Brazil and Norway could have been decided through a penalty shootout, it would have been concerning for Brazil to have their three best penalty takers either on the bench or injured.

Neymar was subbed in late in the game and ended up scoring from the spot to cut the deficit in half, though in vain. But what about the rest? Would Brazil have sent Igor Thiago onto the pitch had they found the equalizer late? Or would they have stayed with the same group and risked going out on penalties like they did at the 2022 World Cup?

In the end, Brazil are out of another FIFA World Cup either way. The five-time World Cup champions will keep that title for four more years, as their journey has come to an end. In the country where Brazil won their fourth World Cup title thanks to a penalty shootout, it was a penalty that will be remembered for ending their dream of winning World Cup title No. 6.

“It’s a designated decision, just like in every match,” Davide explained. “We always finalize the order during our pre-match tactical meeting and communicate it directly to the squad. It’s a collective decision made by the coaching staff. At the end of the day, penalties get missed. That’s just soccer, and today it happened to us.”

Carlo Ancelotti also defended the decision to allow Guimaraes to take the penalty, revealing that Vinicius wasn’t even on the shortlist of candidates to shoot a potential spot-kick.

With talisman Neymar Jr.’s future with the Selecao thrown into serious doubt, the elder Ancelotti and his squad are forced to pack their bags after a devastatingly premature elimination. Meanwhile, a triumphant Norway squad march on, with their next opponent, date, and venue already locked in.

Inside the penalty drama

A rapid counterattack handed Brazil a golden opportunity to open the scoring after Norwegian defender Kristoffer Ajer hauled down Matheus Cunha inside the box. Yet, in a baffling turn of events, Guimaraes immediately seized the ball rather than deferring to Vinicius, the Selecao’s premier goal-scoring threat at the 2026 World Cup.

Guimaraes proceeded to completely fluff the spot-kick with a poor effort, failing to even convert the ensuing rebound. The 14th-minute disaster squandered Brazil‘s most clear-cut opportunity of the first half against Norway, a fatal mistake that ultimately doomed their tournament run.

The most shocking revelation was that this marked Guimaraes’ first-ever penalty attempt in a Brazil shirt. While he regularly handles spot-kick duties for Newcastle United, the midfielder failed to deliver on international football’s biggest stage when his country needed it most. Vinicius later revealed that Ancelotti preferred Guimaraes in a potential penalty.

Vinicius Jr.’s grim penalty record clouding the decision

Despite Guimaraes’ high-profile blunder, the decision looks slightly different when analyzing Vinicius’ underwhelming track record from 12 yards out for the national team. The Real Madrid superstar has converted just one of his three career penalty attempts for Brazil, a glaring vulnerability that likely forced Ancelotti’s coaching staff to look elsewhere in a high-pressure moment.

Following the devastating exit, the Selecao must now navigate a massive transitional phase after Neymar Jr. confirmed that this tournament marked the end of his World Cup career. Massive questions loom over how the federation will restructure ahead of the 2028 Copa America and the 2030 World Cup cycle.

It was Brazil’s first penalty of the 2026 World Cup, so no one really knew who would take it, but most signs suggested it would be Vinicius Jr., even though he’s missed key penalties before for both club and country. Guimaraes may not have been on many fans’ bingo cards.

After the 2-1 loss against Norway, which eliminated Brazil from the 2026 World Cup, Davide Ancelotti, Carlo’s son and member of the coaching staff, confirmed Guimaraes was the designated penalty-taker in dialogue with Ge Globo. The decision was later defended by Carlo Ancelotti, who revealed that Vinicius wasn’t even on the shortlist, with five players having priority to take a penalty.

Ironically, though in a cruel sense, Brazil’s lone goal was thanks to a penalty shot, but it was Neymar Jr.—subbed in during the second half—who put it past Nyland. Despite scoring, Neymar burst into tears after Erling Haaland and Norway knocked them out, handing Brazil one of their worst finishes in World Cup history.

Guimaraes made little sense

According to Transfermarkt, Guimaraes has scored only three penalties in his entire career. He had been perfect from the spot, having scored every attempt until his misstep against Norway, but his sample size was still too small.

Hindsight is 20/20, and Brazil may see his penalty-taking ability every day in training, but considering the goalscorers on the team, Guimaraes’ selection made little sense as he lined up before the ball. After seeing how he took his chance to score his first goal at the 2206 World Cup, it made even less sense.

Matheus Cunha would’ve made more sense, considering he drew the foul inside the box. Still, it was the midfielder who grabbed the ball and took the shot. His mid-height effort was read like a book by Nyland, and Norway steered clear of a disastrous start to the elimination game. Vinicius later admitted that Ancelotti preferred Guimaraes to take the penalty.

Vinicius’ stats from the spot

As for Vinicius Jr., he’s had some very questionable attempts from the penalty spot over the years. Still, he’s also scored some very important penalties. Per Transfermarkt, Vini has scored 13 penalties and missed six. That means he has a 68.4% conversion rate from the spot. Looking only at his penalties for Brazil, his numbers drop.

Vinicius has converted just one of the three penalties (33.3%) he has taken for his national team, which came in a friendly against Guinea. His misses came against Venezuela (2026 World Cup qualifiers) and Chile (international friendly). Perhaps those previous misses cast a long shadow Vinicius didn’t want to face against Norway at the 2026 World Cup.

The first to achieve this feat was Ronaldo, representing Portugal. It came during the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, where his team ultimately reached the Round of 16 before being eliminated by Spain.

Lionel Messi, who recently broke another record with his free-kick goal against Jordan, achieved the feat four years later at Brazil 2014. There, he led Argentina to the final, which unfortunately ended in a loss to Germany in extra time.

Vinicius Jr., Brazil’s leader at this World Cup

Vinicius Jr. is having a sensational 2026 FIFA World Cup, carrying the offensive weight for Brazil and silencing his critics on the international stage. The Real Madrid star has already netted four goals in just three matches, finding the back of the net in every single group stage game to match legends like Ronaldo and Rivaldo.

He opened his tournament tally with the equalizer in a 1-1 draw against Morocco, added another in a clinical 3-0 victory over Haiti, and capped off a brilliant group phase with a stunning brace in the 3-0 triumph against Scotland.

What’s next for Vini Jr. and Brazil?

Brazil will play their Round of 32 match against Japan in Houston, in a game scheduled for 1:00 p.m. ET. There, Vinicius Jr. will look to score once again and close even more the gap with Lionel Messi, the current top scorer of the tournament.

The Argentine No. 10 has scored six goals so far, while the Brazilian has netted four. Cristiano Ronaldo, meanwhile, is outside the top five with just two goals to his name.

While neither Scotland nor Brazil had put on a masterclass up to that point, the breakthrough goal completely shifted the momentum for La Selecao. With the breakthrough, the South American giants climb to the top of the Group C standings, leapfrogging Morocco as they play out their concurrent matchup against Haiti.

The strike marks Vinicius Jr.’s third goal of the 2026 World Cup, a stellar sign for a Brazilian squad that is now on the precipice of locking down a spot in the knockout stage.

Anticipation is building to see how the rest of the match unfolds, particularly with Neymar starting on the bench but remaining available as a substitute. If head coach Carlo Ancelotti calls his number, the veteran superstar has the undeniable quality to act as the ultimate closer and seal the victory.

Vini has been the most decisive player for Brazil

With this third goal in the 2026 World Cup, Vinicius keeps establishing himself as the most important player in the tournament. He has created plenty of great chances for Brazil, and with it, the team has been undefeated.

As the Brazilian supporters are waiting to watch Neymar on the field after four years without seen him, Vinicius Jr. has taken seriously the leadership of a team that want to be a World Champion after 24 years.

Brazil are just waiting for the final result of this game, in order to meet their rivals in the Round of 32, depending on the standings, as they are not depending on themselves at this point to lead the group.

As Bolavip Argentina was able to gather, Prestianni won’t play in the 2026 World Cup due to the suspension he suffered after an alleged homophobic remark against Vinicius Jr. Prestianni won’t be able to complete the required precautionary measure in time to serve his suspension after the World Cup.

Prestianni was handed a six-match ban by UEFA. Three matches were served conditionally, meaning he effectively faces a two-game worldwide suspension enforced by FIFA. Hence, he would miss the first two games in the 2026 World Cup, and that’s something Scaloni is not willing to compromise.

Prestianni was making his first steps for Argentina

Gianluca Prestianni is just 20 years old and he joined Benfica in 2024. He was a mainstay in Benfica’s starting XI. His output was good, so much so that he made his senior debut with Argentina in November, 2025. However, he will have to watch the 2026 World Cup from the outside.

Prestianni made his debut against Angola, where Argentina won 2-0. However, Prestianni played just four minutes during that game. The fact that the suspension is in place all but confirmed to Scaloni that Prestianni was not going to the World Cup, but it’s not like the Benfica player was an established name on Argentina’s locker room.

Argentina’s right wingers are a stacked position

Prestianni isn’t the only right winger to get discarded. Real Madrid gem Franco Mastantuono was also snubbed by Scaloni for the 2026 World Cup. Lionel Messi, Giuliano Simeone, Nico Gonzalez, and even guys like Nico Paz or Thiago Almada could play in that position.

However, Mastantuono and Prestianni were the younger of the right-wing options. Hence, it’s still noteworthy that Scaloni is going for more experienced players. Though, in Prestianni’s case, the suspension of course played a major part in him not getting the nod.

Real Madrid had to come away with a win if they wanted to stay alive in the race for La Liga. And that they did. Barcelona had already won, temporarily extending their lead for the championship to 7 points. With their win over Atleti, Real are now four points behind Barca.

Curiously enough, Real Madrid will now have to cheer for their cross-town enemies. On Matchday 30 of La Liga, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid will go head to head, and Real need their recent opponents to at least get one point and prevent Barcelona from escaping away with the title. Barcelona and Real Madrid won’t play each other until Matchday 35. Find every highlight as it happened below.

Setting up Federico Valverde—the undisputed star of the match who netted a sensational first-half hat-trick—Vinicius reached 31 assists for Real Madrid in Champions League history. This mark ties the legendary total set by Ronaldo during his storied tenure in the Spanish capital.

The most striking aspect of this milestone is the efficiency with which it was achieved. While Ronaldo recorded his 31st assist in his 101st appearance for the club (during a 5–1 group stage win over Basel in 2014), Vini required just 79 games to match the feat.

The Brazilian could have capped his historic night with a goal, but Vinicius missed a second-half penalty, that was brilliantly saved by Gianluigi Donnarumma. Despite the missed spot-kick, the achievement cements Vini’s status alongside Ronaldo, a record he is widely expected to break as the current campaign progresses.

Who holds the all-time record in Champions League?

Perhaps surprisingly, Cristiano Ronaldo sits at the top of the all-time Champions League list with 42 assists. Despite being recognized primarily as the tournament’s greatest goalscorer, the Portuguese star also leads the way in creating them.

Ronaldo is followed closely by Angel Di Maria (41 assists) and Lionel Messi (40 assists), with Neymar holding the fourth spot at 33. Following his recent performance, the Brazilian forward has climbed into fifth place, currently sitting on 31 assists.

While Vini still needs 12 more assists to claim the top spot, he holds a significant advantage: the four players currently ranked above him are no longer playing in Europe, making their return to Champions League competition highly unlikely.

Catching Ronaldo is a realistic goal for the Real Madrid star. Vinicius has already recorded eight assists in this edition of the Champions League alone, and with Real Madrid well-positioned to advance to the quarterfinals, he will have more opportunities to climb the rankings this season.

It looks like the scoring fun belongs entirely to Federico Valverde. After being fouled by Donnarumma inside the penalty box, Vinicius had an unbeatable chance to put his name in the score sheet. However, his attempt was too weak and not high enough to beat the Italian goalkeeper. As a result, Real Madrid remained up 3-0 over Man. City in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League‘s round of 16.

Right now, it seems like the two-legged duel is already decided. But much can change. Perhaps, “La Casa Blanca” will come back to lament Vini’s crucial miss. If Manchester City can mount a comeback—tonight or next week at their home—fans in Madrid will surely look back to this penalty miss as a huge turning point.

Vinicius Jr. apologizes for missed penalty shot

As soon as he made contact with the football, Vini realized his shot wasn’t going to make it past Donnarumma. The Citizens’ goalkeeper correctly guessed Vinicius’ intentions, and his massive 6’5″ (1.96m) frame allowed him to reach his left post in time.

After the miss in the 58th minute, Vinicius immediately apologized to the fans in the stands at the Santiago Bernabeu. The Brazilian star raised his left hand while resting his right hand over his heart in a universal, unspoken gesture of asking for forgiveness.

Vinicius missed his second penalty in Champions League

According to soccer statistician Mister Chip (@2010MisterChip on X), Vinícius Júnior missed his second penalty in the UEFA Champions League during the March 11, 2026, clash against Manchester City.

With this miss, Vini has now tied Cristiano Ronaldo’s mark of two missed penalties for Real Madrid in Europe’s most prestigious competition. However, the Brazilian has scored 2 of 4 attempts (50% success rate), whereas the Portuguese icon netted 14 of 16 penalty shots (87.5% scoring rate) for Real Madrid in the Champions League.