Vinicius Junior is set to lead Brazil in the upcoming matches against Venezuela and Uruguay for the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers, especially as Neymar’s return to the national team has been delayed. The Real Madrid star comes fresh from scoring a hat-trick in his club’s win against Osasuna over the weekend, his first great performance after the Ballon d’Or snub. However, for Brazil’s coach Dorival Junior, the forward has a better reward than that.
Asked about the Ballon d’Or during a press conference ahead of the match against La Vinotinto, the head coach said it was “an unfair situation,” as Vinícius was, in his opinion, “a decisive, sharp, and lethal athlete, whose talent was shown.” However, he added that he has nothing against Rodri, who won the award, as he “stood out a lot, but Vini deserved special recognition.”
“Perhaps the greatest award that Vinicius received is the recognition and respect of his people. The vast majority of the Brazilian people realized the injustice that occurred with the Ballon d’Or,” Dorival said.
Since Vinicius was one of the top contenders for the award, there has been a strong debate regarding the “fairness” of the Ballon d’Or winner selection. Toni Kroos, Karim Benzema, and even Lautaro Martinez—who placed seventh despite winning Serie A and the Copa América—complained about the results.
Vinicius Junior of Brazil salute to fans (Buda Mendes/Getty Images)
On the other hand, Rodri, who recently broke his silence regarding his controversial celebration mocking Vinicius, shared his take on why he thinks he won the award. “[I think it was] my consistency. It’s the most difficult thing in soccer… But I’m not the one to say if I deserved it or not,” he told Partidazo de COPE.
see also
Real Madrid want to renew Vinicius Junior’s contract amid interest from two European giants
Vinicius’ struggles with Brazil: The reason he didn’t win?
One of the reasons Vinicius Junior didn’t win the Ballon d’Or was his performance with Brazil. Rodri had the upper hand when it came to international duty, as he was key to Spain’s triumph in the 2024 Euros, being named Player of the Tournament.
Meanwhile, although Vinicius excelled with Real Madrid, being a key player in their Champions League and La Liga triumphs, he couldn’t shine with the Canarinha. Brazil was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the Copa América on penalties after a goalless draw against Uruguay, with Vinicius scoring only two goals in the tournament.
see also
Ballon d’Or winner Rodri says Lionel Messi is no longer the player he fears the most
Additionally, in the ongoing 2026 World Cup Qualifiers, injuries have kept him out of six matches. In the games he has played, he has only provided one assist and is yet to score. In fact, across his five-year career with Brazil and 35 caps, Vinicius has only managed to find the net five times.
Brazil’s upcoming matches
In the last international break of the year, Brazil, fourth in the table, will clash with Venezuela in Maturin on Thursday, November 14th. Then, they will host Uruguay, third so far, at Fonte Nova Arena in Salvador, Brazil on Tuesday, Nov. 19th.
