Tag: Vinicius Jr

Vinicius Junior struck a dramatic winner in the ninth minute of stoppage time to give Brazil a 2-1 win over Colombia in their South American World Cup qualifier on Thursday.

The five-time world champions had taken a sixth-minute lead in Brasilia through a Raphinha penalty only for Luis Diaz’s fine 41st-minute strike for Colombia to level the game.

Colombia enjoyed the most pressure in the second half but were ultimately sunk by the Real Madrid winger’s dramatic winner.

The victory leaves Brazil well-positioned in second place in the 10-team CONMEBOL qualifying group, four points behind leaders Argentina who travel to Uruguay on Friday.

A foul from Daniel Munoz on Vinicius resulted in the early penalty for Brazil and Raphinha, taking a short run-up, confidently slotted home the spot-kick to give the home side an early lead.

But four minutes before the break, James Rodriguez found Liverpool’s Diaz on the left and the winger moved inside before driving it home into the far, bottom corner of the net.

Rodriguez had an opening in the 68th minute, after a smart move from Colombia, but the playmaker’s shot was comfortably dealt with by Alisson Becker.

Diaz’s Liverpool team-mate Becker had to go off injured in the 78th minute, with an apparent concussion, after a collision with Colombia’s Davinson Sanchez which resulted in the defender being stretchered off.

While Colombia enjoyed the bulk of attacking possession, Brazil remained a threat and Guilherme Arana flashed a shot wide in the 82nd minute.

The Alisson injury had created the lengthy stoppage time and Vinicius took advantage with his fiercely struck effort taking a slight deflection off a defender’s head and flying in.

“Today’s goal is a bit of relief, a bit of happiness. Playing for the national team is something you can’t explain,” said Vinicius.

“Every time we come here, it’s like it’s the first time”.

Brazil face old rivals Argentina on Tuesday.

It was a bitter ending for a Colombia side who sit in sixth place still with work to do in qualifying.

“We kept Brazil in their half, I think we deserved more again, but that’s the way it is. I have a lot of doubts about the refereeing decisions, which I’m not going to comment on,” said Colombia coach Nestor Lorenzo.

“We played a great game and came away with nothing again. We conceded a very early goal again,” he lamented.

In other South American qualifiers on Thursday, Paraguay beat bottom-placed Chile 1-0 in Asuncion, a result that left La Roja rooted to the bottom of the table.

Veteran 41-year-old striker Paolo Guerrero was on target as Peru beat Bolivia 3-1 to move off the bottom.

Andy Polo opened the scoring in the 37th minute before Guerrero found the target on the stroke of half-time.

Bolivia pulled one back with a Miguel Terceros penalty in the 58th minute before Edison Flores restored the two-goal cushion in the 82nd minute.

On Friday, Ecuador host Venezuela and Uruguay are at home to leaders Argentina.

Vinicius Jr says he is “living the dream” at Real Madrid and wants to sign a new deal with the Champions League holders.

The Brazil forward, 24, has two years left on his current contract and is rumoured to be a transfer target for the Saudi Pro League.

“I am very calm because my contract lasts until 2027 and I hope to renew my contract as soon as possible because I am happy here,” he said.

“I am living the dream of playing with the best players in the world, the best coach, the best president, the best fans. Here everybody loves me so much. I couldn’t be in a better place.”

Vinicius left Flamengo to join Real in 2018 and has won three La Liga titles and the Champions League twice.

Real continue the defence of their European crown on Tuesday, when they host neighbours Atletico in the first leg of their last-16 tie, and Vinicius goes into the game with 102 goals from 300 appearances for the club.

“My child dream was to make it here,” he added. “Now I have managed to make it to here, I am writing my story.

“I have won but I can still win much more and make it into the history of the club. That is very complicated because many good players have been here, legends, and I want to be just like them.”

Real ‘asked me to stay in Madrid’ for Ballon d’Or ceremony

Vinicius won the first major individual honour of his career in 2024 as he was named the Fifa Best men’s player of the year.

He also narrowly missed out on winning the Ballon d’Or to Manchester City and Spain midfielder Rodri, when Real boycotted the ceremony in Paris.

The European champions said their representatives would not go where Real are “not respected” after learning Vinicius would miss out on the prestigious award, according to reports from news agency AFP and Spanish media.

Asked about missing the ceremony, he said: “I did what the club told me to do. The club asked me to stay in Madrid so I calmly stayed and now we wait for the next one.”

Vinicius added: “I have never dreamt about winning the Ballon d’Or but, of course, once you are so close to win it, you want to win it.

“I am going to have many chances to win other awards and silverware with this club which is more important. I have won two Champions Leagues so far and I am here to win many more.”

Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr said the display of a banner highlighting Rodri’s Ballon d’Or win before kick-off at Manchester City motivated him even more to win the Champions League play-off first leg.

Spain midfielder Rodri claimed the prestigious honour ahead of the Brazil winger last October, with Real boycotting the ceremony in Paris because they felt their player had deserved the award.

The large banner unfurled by City fans on Tuesday night at Etihad Stadium showed Rodri kissing the Ballon d’Or alongside the words “Stop crying your heart out”.

However, a last-minute Jude Bellingham goal ensured it was Real who were celebrating at full-time as they won 3-2.

“I saw the banner,” Vinicius Jr told Movistar.

“Whenever the opposing fans do things like that they give me more strength to have a great game and here I have done it.”

This was the fourth successive season – and the fifth in six – that the two teams have met in the knockout stages of the tournament.

Real won on penalties when the pair faced off in the quarter-finals last year and Carlo Ancelotti’s side went on to win their 15th title.

“They know our history, everything we do in this competition,” Vinicius Jr added.

“It is the fifth time we come here, it is always very cold, but this time we have won and we have to continue this.”

The two sides meet in Madrid in the second leg next Wednesday.

Bellingham delivers more last-gasp heroics

Bellingham memorably scored a last-minute goal for England against Slovakia to send their Euro 2024 last-16 match into extra time, and he delivered the late heroics once again in Manchester.

“It was a big goal,” Real boss Carlo Ancelotti told Amazon Prime.

“He played a fantastic game and was always dangerous. It was a top game for him.”

Bellingham, who has scored 11 goals in all competitions this season, added: “It was a weird one. We played some of our best football of the season and ended up behind.

“I don’t care what form City are in they are still an unbelievable team. It’s always tricky to play against them and we finally took the chance at the end.”

On next week’s second leg, he added: “It’s always good to take a lead back home and I’m sure the Bernabeu will come through for us.

“It seems like there is up and downs in these knockout games. It’s not just game management, it’s tactical and it’s psychological as well.”