Jet-heeled winger Vinicius Junior has explained the difference between playing for Brazil and Real Madrid, claiming the game flows differently on European pitches. He also issued a sincere apology to fans, vowing to bounce back as soon as possible.
Brazil suffered a damaging 1-0 defeat to Paraguay in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier at the Chaco Defenders Stadium on Tuesday, September 10. It marked the five-time world champions’ fourth defeat in their last five CONMEBOL qualifiers.
With only 10 points to their name in eight 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, Dorival Junior’s men are toiling in fifth place in the rankings. They must finish inside the top six to automatically qualify for the World Cup. Dropping to seventh will force them to participate in inter-confederation playoffs.
Vinicius Jr. Claims Playing For Brazil Different Than Real Madrid
Despite playing alongside Real Madrid teammates Rodrygo and Endrick, 2024 Ballon d’Or contender Vinicius Jr. failed to display his usual degree of explosiveness. Explaining the reason behind it, the 24-year-old told Sportv (via GOAL):
“It’s completely different [than playing for Real Madrid]. Games in Europe are different, the ball gets from one side [of the pitch] to the other faster… We have to know how to adapt so that everyone plays better so that we can win games.
“We know the situation we’re in, we want to get Brazil out of this situation at any cost, we all have to go home now and start thinking about what we can do to get back to playing well. We cannot come here, lose these points and play the way we did. It is a difficult time, we must take on board all the criticism and return as quickly as possible to put Brazil on top.”
He then apologized to fans and vouched to fare better in upcoming games.
Vinicius added:
“We apologise to the fans, who are always on our side.
“But this is a difficult time, we just want to improve… I know my potential, I know what I can do for the national team. Of course, it’s been a very difficult process, because when you don’t have confidence, you don’t get goals, you don’t get assists and good performances. I know what I can improve. I know what I represent. When I’m better, I’ll give everyone else a lot of peace of mind. I know my responsibility, I want to improve as quickly as possible.”
Vinicius Jr., who has scored once and claimed two assists in four La Liga games so far, will return to action when Real Madrid travel to Real Sociedad on Saturday (September 14).
