Vinicius Jr receives brutally honest ‘far from Neymar, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo’ assessment as Real Madrid winger is told he ‘lacks something’

While the winger has been instrumental in the Blancos' recent successes, Miranda believes there is still a significant gulf between the current Madrid No. 7 and the icons who dominated the sport for over a decade. Speaking in a recent interview in Mario Suarez's YouTube channel, Miranda was clear about where the 24-year-old sits in the pecking order compared to his idols. “For me, Vinicius has a lot of quality, but he is still far from Neymar, Messi, Cristiano,” he began, pointing out that technical ability alone is not enough to match the legacy of the legendary trio.

Miranda noted that Vinicius fits the modern mould perfectly. However, he suggested that the winger lacks the intangible qualities that defined the careers of players like Neymar or Messi, specifically mentioning his connection with the public. “Football, at the moment, is the best we have, because for me football has changed a lot. It has a lot of physicality and Vinicius has the technical part and the physical part,” Miranda explained. “But he is not like Messi and Neymar. He lacks something. I don’t know if it is charisma with people.”

The conversation also shifted toward the heavy scrutiny Vinicius faces in La Liga, particularly regarding his conduct and the hostile atmospheres he encounters. Miranda, who spent several successful seasons in Spain with Atletico, drew on his own experience to explain how he handled the pressure of playing in Europe as a Brazilian. “Here in Spain and in Europe, not anywhere, I have not experienced racism, because I had my head only to play football. What people said to me was only a distraction to take the focus away from the game,” Miranda added.

Vinicius has often found himself at the centre of controversy due to his interactions with rival fans and officials, a trait that some critics believe hinders his ultimate potential. Miranda warned that allowing outside noise to penetrate the mind of a player can lead to a dip in quality and concentration during crucial moments. “When you’re going to play a game, if you let the fans take the focus away from the game, it changes the way you play a little, it takes away your concentration a little,” he stated.