Conclusive data! Vinicius is still not the great star that Brazil demands

Once again, the name of Vinicius Jr. has returned to the spotlight. This time, he is not associated with any of the recent controversies he has been involved in regarding his supposed fight against racism in the world of football, but rather for a 'stain' on his sports performance: the pending debt that the forward has with the Brazilian national team, a team where he has not managed to shine as the relentless attacking figure he is at Real Madrid, a quality that is much needed now in the 'Seleção,' which is likely going through one of its lowest points.

In this international break in September, the one from São Gonçalo once again fell short with the 'Canarinha.' Why? In both the 1-0 victory against Ecuador, where the hero of the day at the Couto Pereira Stadium was Rodrygo Goes, and in the recent 1-0 defeat against Paraguay at the Defensores del Chaco, the '7' failed to demonstrate his goal-scoring ability or contribute as an assistant in his team's offensive efforts. He even displayed an image completely different from what is expected of him: a potential Ballon d'Or candidate in 2024 and one of those players who are asked to step up in difficult moments and resolve the game with some brilliance.

Now, 'Vini Jr.'s unfortunate performance was reflected not only in the sensations of sterility and ineffectiveness he left on the field, but also in the numbers. Adding up the stats from both matches, the former Flamengo player attempted just six dribbles (two against Ecuador and four against Paraguay) in the 180 minutes he played, with only one of them being successful.

Furthermore, he only managed three shots on target (two against Paraguay and one against Ecuador) and lost possession of the ball 31 times (14 against Ecuador and 17 against Paraguay), squandering a clear chance to score. These stats are just the tip of the iceberg regarding his lack of determination during this FIFA window.

Vinicius Jr. still not the star Brazil is expecting

However, Vinicius' poor performance with Brazil is not something new. He has yet to showcase that stellar version with the senior national team that he displays at Real Madrid. Proof of this? In the 35 caps he has earned since his debut for the 'Seleção' on September 11, 2019, in a friendly against Peru (0-1), he has only scored five goals and provided five assists.

Moreover, in the three major competitions he has participated in with Brazil (2021 Copa America, 2022 World Cup, and 2024 Copa America), he has scored three goals and provided two assists in 11 matches. He has also not been decisive in the South American World Cup Qualifiers, failing to score since March 25, 2022, in the 4-0 victory of the five-time world champions over Chile, as part of the qualifiers for Qatar 2022.

In fact, in the qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, after five out of eight matches he could play, he only provided one assist in the 2-1 defeat against Colombia on November 17, 2023. This performance is insufficient for a player who was expected to step up as the main star that the 'Canarinha' needs, especially in the absence of Neymar Jr. due to injury.