Having already scored in and won a UEFA Champions League final, another victory in the fixture this weekend will undoubtedly make Vinicius Junior a Real Madrid icon, writes Kamogelo Motecwane.
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To make a name for yourself at Los Blancos is not easy. Many big stars have arrived and struggled to acclimatise to the rigors that come with playing for the historical Spanish institution. In recent years, Real have veered away from buying established superstar names, and instead have opted to nurture prodigious young talents.
A product of this shift in recruitment strategy is Vinicius. The club signed the then-teenager from Flamengo for €45 million (R912 million) in 2018, and while people might know him today as one of the best players in the world, his success at the Santiago Bernabeu was not always guaranteed.
In his first three seasons playing for Los Merengues, the 28-cap Brazil international struggled to find consistent form, and his decision-making in the final third was of particular concern. However, that all changed in 2021/22, when he seemingly ascended overnight to become one of the most lethal frontmen in world football. He dovetailed with Karim Benzema brilliantly to help Real win the LALIGA and Champions League titles that season.
In that campaign's UCL final, it was his goal that earned the Madrid giants their record-extending 14th European championship as they beat Liverpool 1-0 at the Stade de France. That was the young superstar's breakout season as he amassed 22 goals and 20 assists in all competitions, and since then he has not slowed his roll.
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In 2022/23, the Sao Goncalo native bettered that tally by scoring 23 times and assisting a further 21 strikes across all competitions, and while they may have only captured the Copa del Rey that term, Vinicius was the undisputed leader in attack for Real. This season, while he may not have another 20 goal and 20 assists (he currently has 23 goals and 11 assists), he is on the cusp of winning yet another LALIGA and European double.
Many Brazilians have been tremendously successful with Real, for example Marcelo, Roberto Carlos and Casemiro, just to name a few, but no Brazilian forward has been able to spearhead a Real attack that is consistently vying for titles. Ronaldo Nazario was regarded as one of the best forwards in the world during his time in Madrid, but while he might have scored 103 goals and bagged 35 assists during his 177 appearances, he only won five trophies with the club, none of which was a Champions League title.
At 23 years old, Vinicius has the opportunity to eclipse the Rio de Janeiro native in terms of trophies won with Real by helping Los Blancos beat Borussia Dortmund at Wembley Stadium to claim his 12th title at the club. Should he score in London, he will become only the fifth player in the UEFA Champions League era to score in two different UCL finals after Raul Gonzalez, Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Sergio Ramos.
These players are all icons of the club, and another European title, with a potential Ballon d'Or to boot, will go a long way in cementing his greatness in the Spanish giants' history. What is even more miraculous for the Brazil international is that he will have achieved all of this before turning 24, an age that is nowhere near his prime.
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Ronaldo achieved his legendary status while he was in his late 20s, and players such Luka Modric and Benzema were able to do it in their 30s, but Vinicius will have the chance to outdo them all when he faces the Bundesliga side this weekend.
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