Vinícius JúniorReal Madrid LogoBrazilCFMale
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Vinícius José Paixão de Oliveira Júnior (born 12 July 2000), commonly known as Vinícius Júnior or Vini Jr. (Brazilian Portuguese: [viˈnisjus ˈʒũɲoʁ]), is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a winger for La Liga club Real Madrid and the Brazil national team. Considered as one of the best wingers in the world, he is known for his dribbling skills, high pace and playmaking. Born in São Gonçalo, Vinícius began his professional career at Flamengo, where he made his senior debut in 2017, at age 16. A few weeks later, Vinícius was the subject of a transfer to La Liga club Real Madrid, for whom he signed for in a £38 million deal, which was a national record for an U-18 player. The transfer was made effective after his 18th birthday, with Vinícius debuting for the club in 2018–19. By his fourth season, Vinícius established himself as a prominent member in Real Madrid's squad, helping the club win the 2021–22 La Liga title and scoring the winning goal in Real Madrid's 2022 UEFA Champions League Final win. Vinícius Junior's football career began in the year 2006, when his father took him to the branch offices of Flamengo, in the neighborhood of Mutuá, in São Gonçalo where he lived. 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. 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 the young player in July 2018. On 10 August 2017, Vinícius scored the first professional goal of his career in a Copa Sudamericana second round leg 2 match against Palestino in a 5–0 win for Flamengo. Vinícius made his first start on 31 October in a 4–0 Copa del Rey away victory against Melilla, contributing with assists for both Marco Asensio and Álvaro Odriozola in what Marca recognised as a Man of the Match performance. On 24 March 2022, Vinícius scored his debut goal for the national team, in a 4–0 home win over Chile in a 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification match at the Maracanã Stadium. Shortly after his arrival at Real Madrid in July 2018, ESPN journalist Dermot Corrigan described Vinícius as a "zippy left winger or second striker". Regarded as a promising young player, he is considered to be a diminutive, dynamic, intelligent, hard-working, and nimble winger, with a low centre of gravity, as well as impressive passing and awareness. Moreover, he is known in for his eye for the final ball, and ability to provide assists to teammates; although he is also capable of scoring goals himself, his shooting and goalscoring have been cited by pundits as areas in need of improvement, as his lack of end product was often a source of criticism in the media in his first few seasons at Real Madrid. The club's manager Carlo Ancelotti also praised him for his defensive work-rate and positioning, in addition to his creative abilities and talent, noting that he was able to improve upon his tactical knowledge and physical condition throughout the course of the season, as well as his finishing.

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