Brazil look to Vinicius Jr for World Cup inspiration - but Real Madrid star's woeful Selecao record must improve if they are to challenge for sixth title in 2026

Vinicius's story for his club has been one of steady improvement, year by year. He arrived at Madrid raw, unproven, and openly disliked by one of his team's best players. Within a few seasons, he was La Liga's best, a sure-fire Galactico, and in 'best in the world' conversations. These are the normal things that great players do - develop over time.

But for Brazil, that shift from good to great has never quite come. Indeed, he has simply never made an impact for his national team. In 49 appearances for his country, Vinicius has found the net nine times. Six of those goals came in friendlies. Two of the other three came in a blowout of Paraguay in the Copa America group phase. He has, in fairness, sprinkled in nine assists. But only two of them came in tournament play. Once the lights start to shine on the yellow shirts of Brazil, Vinicius shuts off.

Part of the reason, to be sure, is tactical. As Neymar has struggled with injury, Vinicius has been tasked with making everything happen. The response is simple: double-team Vini and kick him at every possible opportunity. He barely gets half a yard to breathe. The frustrations come. The clinical nature just isn't there.

And that wouldn't necessarily be a major problem if Brazil had multiple other stars of his magnitude. In the past, the Selecao have been star studded. Shut down Ronaldinho? You have to deal with Ronaldo Nazario. Keep Kaka quiet? How about that brief moment of prime Adriano? They simply don't have that depth anymore.

Neymar, meanwhile, could play the singular star. It is, in fact, pretty fair to wonder what might have happened at the 2014 World Cup if the Brazilian didn't pick up a back injury. And for all of his faults - on and off the field - Neymar always showed up for Brazil. There is a reason he overtook Pele's record as the country's all-time top goal-scorer.

But now Neymar is aging and perennially injured. A torn ACL in October 2023 was really the beginning of the end. Even if he has shown glimpses in a feel-good return to boyhood club Santos, recurring muscle injuries have limited his impact. Even if he has been selected for this year's Brazil squad, a calf problem seems to make any major impact unlikely (his participation in the opening fixture against Morocco is unclear).

Vinicius, then, has to do it alone - if only to prove he can. And for Brazil, there are other stars in waiting. Raphinha, for one, will feel he has the chance to make this team his own. And he knows what World Cup expectation feels like.

"The pressure is quite high. And, of course, representing your country is special. It is the national team that has won the most titles globally," he told GOAL in April. "Representing an entire nation is something that demands a tremendous amount from its players is an honour."

But the Barcelona man has always been an elite second option, never quite the sole star. He is a perfect complementary piece, for example, to Lamine Yamal. Yes, he provides the goals and assists. But Raphinha is more of a standout cog in a well-oiled machine. There are others, too; Endrick is back on the scene after enjoying something of a revival with a successful loan to Lyon. Estevao, when he returns from a severe hamstring injury, is certainly on the trajectory to stardom. Even Rodrygo, somehow forgotten and missing the tournament due to injury, could make an impact.

And legends of old have backed Vinicius, too.

"Vinicius played a really good season. The challenge is at Real Madrid; if you're not winning, it's a disappointing season. Vinicius scored a lot of goals and played really well. But Madrid didn't win anything," Kaka told GOAL last month. "So everyone says it's a flop."

The issue is, the same debates were raging in 2024. That time, Neymar was certainly out. Endrick was raw. Raphinha had not yet enjoyed a full revival at Barcelona (he was linked with a potential exit). Yet at that tournament, Raphinha stepped up. He started four games, and broke a four-year goal drought for the Selecao. Sure, the attention was off him a little bit, but there, in the United States, he showed what he might be able to provide.

Vinicius, meanwhile, toiled. A return of two goals in three games does not look horrible. But he was remarkably ineffective in his side's opening game, and they settled for a drab scoreless draw with Costa Rica. A battering of Paraguay - and a man-of-the-match performance - followed.

But against Colombia, he arrived late on James Rodriguez. The referee brandished a yellow just seven minutes into the game. Vinicius played the remaining 83 knowing he would miss whatever was next. He failed to score, and Brazil missed him - any version of him - in the last eight.

"I screwed up by receiving two avoidable yellow cards. Once again, I watched the elimination from the sidelines. But this time, it was my fault. I apologise for that," he said after the tournament.

There is a reason to believe, though, that things might be a bit different this year. Carlo Ancelotti has taken the Brazil job, and would seem to be an excellent fit for Vinicius - not least because he got the best football out of him at Madrid.

The manager has tried, at every juncture, to instill a crucial sort of confidence in the winger. He claimed, on Thursday, that Vinicius has "the same special gifts as Brazil's all-time greats", and has repeatedly backed him to star for the Selecao at the World Cup.

Vinicius, for his part, knows that he needs a solid tournament. "If I go to the World Cup, score four or five goals and we become champions, the whole story changes. Then people will say I was preparing myself for the World Cup all along, even in the games where I didn't play well," he said last month.

Yet at the same time, this one might be a bit of a free hit. If you had to draw up a list of favourites for the competition, Brazil would probably not be among them. They are, indeed, a step below the Spains, Frances, Englands and Argentinas of this tournament. Sure, their familiarity with summer conditions could benefit them, but they do not have the quality of squads of old.

And perhaps that's the best way to go about it. At Copas America, they are expected to win. World Cups come with a certain amount of expectation, too. But there is also maybe a bit of an understanding that this will be a tricky one, with Ancelotti's squad undeniably in transition.

If that is the case, maybe the next 40 days could be the time when Vinicius gets to impose himself. Everyone else is injured or not ready yet. This could be the summer of Vini.