Metropole · Business of the Game
—The milestone. Vinícius Júnior reaches 500 professional appearances against Haiti in Philadelphia, aged 25, nine years and one month after his Flamengo debut.
—The coach effect. By club and Brazilian-press tallies, 209 of his first 499 games and 156 of his 241 career goal contributions came under Carlo Ancelotti.
—The price tag. His Real Madrid contract carries a release clause of about €1bn ($1.15bn); his current open-market value is estimated at €90.5–110.6m ($104–126m).
—The standoff. Renewal talks have been parked since mid-2025; the deal runs to June 2027, and both sides agreed to wait until after the World Cup.
