June 13, 2026
As Brazil prepare to open their 2026 World Cup against Morocco on Saturday, Vinicius Jr does not mince words about what his second World Cup means.
"This is the most important time in my life and in my career," the 25-year-old Real Madrid star said on Friday.
With the aging Neymar formally ruled out vs. Morocco with a calf injury that has hampered his tournament preparations, Vinicius Jr. is now decidedly the face of Brazil's national team, one trying to recover from disappointment earlier in the decade.
It's one reason the Brazilian Football Confederation hired his former club coach Carlo Ancelotti to try and correct course for a team that lost the 2021 Copa America final on home soil to rivals Argentina, was eliminated in the 2022 World Cup quarterfinals by Croatia and then fell out of the 2024 Copa America to Uruguay on penalties in the quarterfinals.
