Vinícius Júnior

Early career

His footballing career began in 2006, when his father took him to the branch offices of Flamengo, in the neighborhood of Mutuá, in São Gonçalo, where he lived. His club document described him as a left-back. Hailing from a poor Catholic family, Vinícius went to live in Abolição with his uncle, Ulisses, to shorten the distance to Ninho do Urubu (the "Vultures' Nest"). He started to receive financial aid from Flamengo as well as aid from entrepreneurs. Between 2007 and 2010, Vinícius attended futsal classes at Flamengo's school in São Gonçalo at the Canto do Rio, a famous club located in the centre of Niterói. Flamengo noted his potential, and he decided he wanted to play football, not futsal. In August 2010, Vinícius had a trial to play for the Flamengo youth team, and he accepted an invitation to play for their football team. Before, in 2009, when Vinícius was nine, he took a futsal trial for Flamengo, he was asked to come back the following year.

Flamengo

Vinícius debuted for Flamengo on 13 May 2017 as an 82nd-minute substitute in a Brazilian Série A 1–1 draw against Atlético Mineiro. Two days later, he extended his contract with the club from 2019 until 2022, with a significant salary increase and a buyout clause increase from €30 million to €45 million. This contract renewal was reported as being part of the transfer process of Vinícius to Real Madrid, an agreement reached between the two clubs in Gávea that week with an obligation to sell…

2015–2019: Success at youth level

On 30 October 2015, Vinícius was called up for Brazil by coach Guilherme Dalla Déa for the South American U-15 Championship. Vinícius and Brazil won the U-15 title, and he was the 2nd top-scorer of the tournament with seven goals. He was named player of the tournament and continued to perform, which helped him convince Flamengo to sign him by the age of 16. On 24 June 2016, Vinícius was called up for a friendly against Chile U-17 and scored two goals and provided two assists in the 4–2 victory. In March 2017, Vinícius debuted in the South American U-17 Championship for Brazil with a goal in a 3–0 victory over Peru. In the final stage, he scored two goals in a 3–0 win over Ecuador and two goals in a 3–0 victory over Colombia, securing Brazil's place in the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup in India, where Brazil (without Vinícius) eventually would finish third. After leading Brazil to win the South American U-17 Championship, he was named the tournament's best player and was top goal-scorer with seven goals.

2019–2026: Senior and World Cup debuts

On 28 February 2019, Vinícius was called up to the Brazil national team for the first time for friendlies against Panama and the Czech Republic. However, he suffered an injury while playing for Real Madrid, and David Neres was called up in his place in March. In May, he was excluded from Brazil's final 23-man squad for the 2019 Copa América by manager Tite. The same year on 10 September, he…

Club

As of match played 30 August 2026

International

As of match played 5 July 2026

As of match played 29 June 2026 Scores and results list Brazil's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Vinícius goal.

Vinícius is a Roman Catholic. He runs a charitable institute in Rio – Instituto Vini Jr – which aims to use technology and sport to educate young Brazilians and, ultimately, alleviate some of the barriers to education related inequality in the country. In November 2024, Vinícius received his genetic results from African Ancestry, and learned that his maternal lineage was traced to the Tikar people of Cameroon. The Confederation of Brazilian Football (CBF) presented him with the certificate in front of a stadium full of supporters. He is also an owner of Alverca, who play in Primeira Liga in Portugal. In October 2025, Vini publicly confirmed his relationship with influencer and content creator Virginia Fonseca through an Instagram post. The relationship was made official after a period of rumors, a brief disagreement between the two, and a public apology from Vini, which led Fonseca to give him a second chance. In May 2026, Fonseca announced the end of the relationship. In July 2026, he confirmed that he had rekindled the relationship with the influencer. He underwent a non-surgical cosmetic chin procedure at a clinic in Goiânia.