Surprise! Vinicius Jr shocks fans at Madame Tussauds by pretending to be a wax figure as Real Madrid star heads to New York ahead of 2025 unveiling

A selection of fans visiting the New York tourist hotspot thought they were posing for pictures with a wax figure of Vini, who has risen to world class status in recent years. But it was really the man himself and, after initially standing statue still, he came to life to give each a brief fright before laughter and joy took over. From 2025, a real wax figure will be on display to the public.

Vini said: "I'm so pumped to be getting a wax figure at Madame Tussauds! It's such a cool way for fans to connect with me. I can't wait to see how it turns out and share it with everyone!"

The player's international summer was cut short by Brazil's underwhelming quarter-final exit from the Copa America. He has already been back to Spain, where he celebrated his birthday by partying in Ibiza with Selecao team-mate Douglas Luiz.