Vinicius Jr: With Neymar out, there’s no place at Copa America for Real Madrid's brilliant Brazilian to hide

Vinicius' Brazil career stalled before it could properly start. In February 2019, after a much-improved season for Madrid, long-time manager Tite called the winger up to the senior setup for the first time for a duo of friendlies with Panadam and the Czech Republic. However, he sustained a knock playing for Los Blancos, and failed to do enough over the remainder of the season to convince the manager to let him into the setup for that year's Copa America (the Selecao won it on home soil.)

In September of that year, though, Vinicius was in. He made his senior debut against Peru, and after the resumption of international football following the Covid-19 pandemic, became a regular fixture in the Selecao team.

There was a glaring issue, though: Neymar.

Brazil's star man tended to play off the left in a 4-2-3-1 under Tite, leaving Vinicius starved of minutes or forced to operate out of position when he put his national team shirt on. The result was a series of underwhelming showings in the famous yellow jersey. He didn't score his first goal until 2022, and has only added two more since then.

The issue is, of course, Vinicius was never going to be able to beat Neymar into the side. There was a school of thought, for some time, that the two couldn't exist in the same side. Neymar, before his injury, had moved into a No.10 role for the Selecao - similar to the one he occupied for Paris Saint-Germain.

That would seem to leave room for Vinicius on the left flank. But Neymar's license to roam often culminated with the mercurial captain drifting over to the left side of the pitch, effectively clogging the spaces that Vinicius needed to run into. As a result, the duo never quite clicked. Vinicius has five assists at an international level - none of them have been given to Neymar.

It mattered little, of course, when Neymar was leading the way for the Selecao. Even with his club form declining - and ankle injuries hampering his sharpness - Neymar always seemed to show up for his national team. To date, he has scored 56 and assisted 40 in 85 caps for the Selecao. He was a freak fractured tailbone away from perhaps leading his nation to a World Cup on home soil. The Olympics are less of an event for the global game, but Neymar stepped up to win that competition for his country, too.

Vinicius' poor international record flew largely under the radar when the Selecao still had their main man pulling the strings. But with Neymar gone, there's nowhere to hide. Vinicius' stats have fallen under the microscope in recent weeks, and some of the criticism is rightfully deserved. For all of the tactical imperfections at play, Vinicius should be doing more for his national team.

It is never as simple as it seems, of course - national tournaments would be far less competitive if every player could simply replicate their club form. But a player of Vinicius' quality should really be scoring and assisting more.

In recent showings, there has been some promise. Vinicius was excellent in a friendly against England in March. The Brazilian spent 88 minutes ritually terrorizing Kyle Walker - a player he has developed a captivating rivalry with. Although Vinicius didn't get an official assist for Endrick's late winner in that game, it was his burst through on goal that led to the debutant's easy tap-in.

Against Spain three days later, he also did his bit, doing crucial off ball work to set up the Selecao's first goal in an enthralling 3-3 draw. More recently, he has only been better. He assisted Endrick's winning goal against Mexico, and turned in a typically impressive galloping appearance against the United States - even if he could have been more clinical on the night.

In previous years - with former versions of Vinicius trying to work his magic on the wing - there have been reasons for concern. His club form, perhaps, has wavered at times, while the undeniable pressure of being so highly rated at such a young age cannot be discredited. But Vinicius is now two weeks shy of his 24th birthday, and playing the best football of his career.

In truth, he needed a few months to get going in the 2023-24 campaign. A muscle injury - sustained in a World Cup qualifier against Colombia - set his season back before it could begin in full. Meanwhile, the form of Jude Bellingham for Madrid shielded Vinicius from the spotlight. But since the turn of the calendar year, he has been electric.

It's not so much the raw numbers - 24 goals and 11 assists in all competitions - as the games in which he has delivered. Vinicius scored twice in the Champions League semi-final, and once in the final. He assisted twice in a quarter-final win over Manchester City. He bagged a hat-trick against Barcelona in the Supercopa final, and had a hand in two of Los Blancos' three goals against the Blaugrana in a La Liga fixture in April.

And in between, he has done all of the typically exciting things: nutmegs, flicks, stepovers - a complete array of skills and tricks. The underlying stats suggest much the same thing. Vinicius is in the 99th percentile among forwards in progressive carries, the 99th in successful take-ons and the 99th in touches inside the opponent's penalty area. There are very few better players at putting the ball in the net. And those handful are nowhere near as fun to watch.

The challenge now becomes translating all of that to the national stage. Vinicius has been the main man for Madrid for some time now. It was his understanding with Karim Benzema during the Frenchman's 2021-22 Ballon d'Or winning season that helped him break into superstardom. But as Benzema's injuries multiplied the following campaign, Vinicius came into his own. Often, he was trusted to be Los Blancos' main man in attack - a role he embraced with aplomb.

This season, he's inherited even more responsibilities. Even though Bellingham has more than done his part - and could have an equal claim to the Ballon d'Or - Vinicius is undoubtedly the focal point for his club side. Asking him to do such a thing for his national team, then, is not a novel concept.

Then again, this is a footballer who has dealt with immense pressure his whole career. As a teenager, he was the best talent to come out of Brazil since Neymar - something backed up by the immense fee Madrid paid for his services. At Madrid, he filled the left-wing spot once held by Cristiano Ronaldo. There has always been expectation. Vinicius just has to meet it.

This month might be the perfect opportunity for it all to come together. Brazil is expected to compete at Copa America, but there is near universal acknowledgment that Argentina is the strongest side on display this summer. Selecao supporters will want to win the whole tournament, but la Alibiceleste are the reigning world champions and still have that Lionel Messi guy to turn to.

Brazil, meanwhile, are a team in flux. There are real imperfections to the side, and a new manager in Dorival Junior expected to piece it all together. But there are some advantages to be found. For all of their weaknesses at the back and in midfield, the Selecao have a fearsome front line. Rodrygo and Vinicius have developed a deadly partnership at Madrid, while the emergence of Endrick through the middle could be the x-factor this side needs to make a run.

And Vinicius, without Neymar to fall behind, could finally have his moment to assert - once and for all - that he is a global superstar.