Vinicius Jr. just did something no other player has managed at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The Brazilian forward has been named Man of the Match in all three of Brazil’s group-stage games, against Morocco, Haiti, and Scotland, cementing himself as the tournament’s most electrifying player through the opening rounds.
Four goals and an assist across three matches will do that for you. His brace against Scotland on June 25 was the exclamation point on a group-stage performance that has the football world running out of superlatives.
A historic run through the group stage
Here’s what makes this achievement genuinely rare. The only other player to sweep all three group-stage MOTM awards at a World Cup was Cristiano Ronaldo, who pulled it off back in 2010. That’s the company Vinicius is keeping right now.
The 25-year-old Real Madrid forward opened his account against Morocco on June 13, then followed it up against Haiti before delivering the performance of the tournament so far against Scotland.
