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On July 12, 2000, Vinicius Junior was born to Tatiana Vincius and Jose Paixao de Oliviera in Brazil’s capital Rio de Janeiro. Vincius’ football career started in 2006, when his father took him to the branch offices of Flamengo, in Sao Goncalo where he lived. His club document revealed his position as a left-back. In May 2017, he made his debut for Flamengo against Atlético Mineiro in Brazil’s Serie A. In the 82nd minute, he entered the match as a substitute. His maiden professional goal came for Flamengo against Palestino in a Copa Sudamericana second round leg 2 match held in August 2017.
Earlier, in May 2017, Real Madrid signed a contract to reserve his services for Real Madrid after his 18th birthday on July 12. He was transferred for a reported fee of €46 million, which made him the second-most expensive player in Brazilian football’s history then. Vincius made his Real Madrid debut on 29 September, 2018 breaking into the match as a substitute in the 87th minute in a goalless draw against Atletico Madrid. In November 2018, the Brazilian notched up his first goal 10 minutes after joining in as a substitute in a 2-0 win against Real Valladolid. In June 2024, Real Madrid beat Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League final, and he played an instrumental role with his goal in the 83rd minute.
Vinicius Junior’s national career for Brazil
In September 2019, Vincius Junior debuted for Brazil at the age of 19. He played his maiden game as a substitute against Peru. His side won that match by 1-0. After two-and-a-half years of his international debut, his first goal for his national side came against Chile in a FIFA World Cup 2022 qualification game played at the Maracanã Stadium. March 2022.
On March 26, 2024, Vinícius donned the captain’s role for the first time in a friendly game against Spain played at the Santiago Bernabeu, his club's home ground. In the 2024 Copa America, Vinícius scored his first two goals in the tournament in Brazil's second group match, a 4-1 win against Paraguay.
