Vinicius Jr. just did something no Brazilian has managed in nearly a quarter century. By scoring in all three of Brazil’s group stage matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the Real Madrid forward joined Ronaldo and Rivaldo as the only Seleção players to accomplish the feat since the legendary 2002 squad lifted the trophy in Yokohama.
A tournament-defining run through the group stage
The milestone began taking shape on June 13, 2026, when Vinicius scored Brazil’s first goal of the entire tournament. It came in a 1-1 draw against Morocco at MetLife Stadium.
The second group match saw Vinicius shift into a different gear entirely. In Brazil’s 3-0 demolition of Haiti on June 20, 2026, he both scored and provided an assist.
Vinicius was directly involved in all four of Brazil’s goals across their opening two group matches. Across his last six World Cup appearances, spanning both the 2022 and 2026 tournaments, Vinicius has racked up six goal involvements.
