Vinicius Junior shines despite challenges, eyes Ballon d'Or
Vinicius Junior, a Real Madrid and Brazil national team footballer, has faced some PR challenges in recent months. The 24-year-old grabbed attention when he wasn't awarded the Ballon d'Or for the 2023/2024 season. He confidently stated, "I will do it 10x if I have to. They're not ready." Although achieving this goal is a long way off, the numbers show he's on his way.
When you think of Real Madrid, Vinicius Junior comes to mind—and vice versa. Despite a shaky start to the season, especially in the Champions League, Los Blancos are currently in second place in the standings, trailing a surging FC Barcelona by six points but with one game in hand.
A major star of Carlo Ancelotti's team, Brazilian Vinicius Junior has become the target of ridicule and attacks from fans worldwide. This backlash stems from his outspoken fight against racism, of which he is a frequent victim, and the disappointment of not receiving the Ballon d'Or, for which he was a leading contender until the very end.
These issues occur amid Real Madrid's performance struggles, notably a memorable 4-0 defeat by FC Barcelona at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, after which Vinicius was blamed as one of the culprits in Real Madrid's lackluster showing. He also tends to underperform with the national team, having scored only five goals in 37 matches. However, if we examine his current season statistics, it's clear the Brazilian is playing better than ever.
Vinicius Junior: better than ever
In the ongoing 2024/2025 season, across all club matches, Vinicius Junior has appeared in 17 games, spending a total of 1,432 minutes on the field. During this time, he has scored 12 goals and provided seven assists—the best performance of his career.
Evidence of this improvement was provided by "The Athletic" journalist Mario Cortegana, who reported that at the same point last season, Vini Jr. contributed to a goal every 88.11 minutes on average, whereas he currently does so every 75.36 minutes.
The arrival of Kylian Mbappe at Real Madrid hasn't deterred the Brazilian, who remains the team's biggest star. He ranks second in the La Liga scoring standings, surpassed only by Robert Lewandowski (14 goals and 2 assists). In the Champions League standings, Vini ranks fifth but is just one goal behind leader Raphinha.
