Vinicius on dream 24 hours, Madrid glory and Brazil aims

On Tuesday night, the electrifying Brazilian forward Vinicius Junior was crowned The Best FIFA Men’s Player for the first time, his reward for an exceptional 2023/24 season in which he spearheaded Real Madrid’s charge to a La Liga, UEFA Champions League and Supercopa de Espana treble.

Just over 24 hours after being presented with that coveted prize, he played a starring role as Madrid beat Pachuca 3-0 in the FIFA Intercontinental Cup final, assisting one goal for Kylian Mbappe and rounding off the scoring himself from the penalty spot.

“These two days have been incredible for me,” he said. “Yesterday, I received the award for best player in the world – and today I came here and won and was named the best player of the match.”

After a bright start from Pachuca at Lusail Stadium, Madrid’s superiority steadily began to show, with Vinicius at the heart of their incisive attacking play. He set up Mbappe for their first goal of the night, producing a mesmerising piece of skill to round Pachuca goalkeeper Carlos Moreno before passing to the Frenchman, who was left with the simplest of tasks to slot home.

“I always look for the best option of who can finish the play,” said Vinicius of Madrid’s opener. “I could have shot, but it would have been a little more difficult. I decided to pass the ball to Kylian. I think it was a good move and we were able to leave here victorious.”

Rodrygo doubled Madrid’s advantage early in the second half and, fittingly, it was man-of-the-moment Vinicius who put an exclamation point on the victory, converting an 84th-minute penalty.

Vinicius’ goalscoring performance provided a perfect conclusion to a dream trip to Qatar. Even when basking in the glow of personal and team glory, however, he was eager to outline his desire to inspire those in his homeland.

“Now I have the opportunity to represent all Brazilians and the children who fight to get here one day,” he said. “I always say that it’s possible, because I’ve fought hard together with my family, believing in them, in my team-mates, in the people at the club who are by my side every day. Many said that I wouldn’t even wear the Real Madrid jersey, that I wouldn’t be able to score so many goals. I’ve never talked back to anyone, I always proved myself on the pitch, doing great things together with my team-mates, which is always the most important thing.”

While Vinicius and Real Madrid won five trophies in total in 2024, at international level it has been a more challenging year. Brazil were knocked out at the quarter-final stage of the CONMEBOL Copa America and have had some mixed results in qualifying for the FIFA World Cup 26™. Vinicius outlined his confidence better times are ahead for A Seleção

“Brazil always have to be at the top,” he said. “We are working hard and doing everything we can to do that in 2026. God willing, we can bring the World Cup back to us. Of course, it is a long and difficult task, but we have great players spread over the best leagues who are doing great things.”