Despite Real Madrid not being in their best season, Vinícius Jr. has managed to remain one of the team’s most consistent players. In fact, the Brazilian star has joined Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema in an exclusive scoring list for Los Blancos. Since Kylian Mbappé’s arrival, Vinícius Jr. has noticeably dropped his level at Real Madrid, drawing significant criticism from fans. Although he has not managed to match his performances from previous seasons, he remains one of the team’s most productive players, contributing both creatively and in terms of goals. In fact, the Brazilian star has joined Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema in an exclusive scoring list for Los Blancos.
According to MisterChip, via X, Vinícius Jr. has joined the list of Real Madrid players who have scored 20+ goals in all competitions in 5+ consecutive seasons. With this, the Brazilian star joins Pahiño, Alfredo Di Stéfano, Ferenc Puskás, Hugo Sánchez, Raúl González, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Karim Benzema. After achieving this, he has already become a historic figure for the club, even leading two UEFA Champions League titles as a key player.
Vinícius Jr. has scored 20 goals and provided 14 assists in the current season for Los Blancos. With this, the Brazilian has proven to be the team’s most complete forward, playing a key role in the collective game. Although his performances are not as explosive as in previous seasons, he has shown consistency and established as a leader in the dressing room, helping to guide the team to several titles since his arrival.
Despite the Brazilian’s strong impact, Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema remain well above him in Real Madrid’s historical hierarchy. Not only did both win Ballon d’Or awards, but they are also the club’s two all-time top scorers. In addition, they managed to stay among the best players in the world for more than 10 years, leaving a major legacy at Los Blancos. With this in mind, Vinicius Jr. still has a tough path to follow.
Vinicius Junior of Real Madrid
Vinícius Jr. receives unfair criticism from Real Madrid fans
Over the last two seasons, Vinícius Jr. has become a source of criticism from fans, despite still being highly productive. However, Kylian Mbappé’s arrival has completely unbalanced his role, forcing him to change positions and significantly limiting his impact. Rather than the Frenchman adapting, all the coaches have tried to adjust the Brazilian instead, exposing him considerably.
Both Vini Jr. and Mbappé tend to operate in the same areas: The left flank. While the Frenchman starts as a centre-forward, he does not play as a traditional striker, often drifting into the left side occupied by the Brazilian. Because of this, the 25-year-old star has adapted to a more complete role, focusing on collective play, but the lack of freedom he once had has caused his numbers to drop.
If Kylian Mbappé were to fully adapt as a central striker, Vinícius Jr. could continue thriving on the left wing, something that already worked with Karim Benzema. However, the Frenchman still appears to enjoy positional freedom, which limits the Brazilian. Therefore, the challenge for Álvaro Arbeloa or any future coach will be to structure the attack so that both can shine at the same time.