This article was automatically translated from HIBAPRESS, the Arabic version:
HIBAPRESS-RABAT-FIFA
FIFA looks back at the Brazilian star’s formative years, which helped shape the player and man he became.
Vinicius Jr was voted The Best – FIFA Player of 2024
The Brazilian star was rewarded for his sensational year
FIFA looks back on its journey from its formative years to the pinnacle of international football
When Vinicius Jr takes the field, nothing matters more than his passion for football. From his childhood in São Gonçalo, in the Rio de Janeiro region, to his recent The Best – FIFA Player of the Year award, a lot has changed, but his talent and radiant smile are still there and there.
If Vinicius makes the best defenses in the world dizzy today, in the biggest stadiums in the world, this was already the case in his early days. In any case, this is what Cacau, director of Escolinha Fla in the hometown of the Real Madrid star, who trained her from the age of five until she was ten, says.
“When we took him to tournaments around eight or nine years old, we realized he had something special,” the former coach recalled in an interview with FIFA. “Even his opponents said that to mark Vini, you needed a motorbike! »
“We were certain that he would become a footballer thanks to his dedication and talent, because he lived and breathed football 24 hours a day, but we had no idea the level he would reach,” said as for him remembered Ulysses, the uncle of Vinicius.
Carlos Noval, director of football at Flamengo between 2010 and 2018, had the same impression. It didn’t take him long to realize how extraordinary young Vinicius was.
“The first time I saw him on the pitch, in training, he already stood out,” he remembers. “Looking at this boy, you knew he had something very precious and very special. Because of his personality, because of everything he showed, at only ten years old. We had no doubt that this was a talent capable of becoming one of Flamengo’s best players. All that remained was to polish it and see how far it could go. »
The winners of The Best FIFA Football Awards™ 2024
A raw gemstone in its early days, Vinicius had to travel a long way to become the sparkling diamond he is today. After joining Flamengo’s academy in his hometown, he had the opportunity to try out for the club. He succeeded, but then found himself faced with the challenge of having to travel almost 50 kilometers a day in order to pursue his dream of becoming a professional footballer.
“Transportation was a real problem for him, because it’s a long journey from São Gonçalo to the Ninho do Urubu (Vulture’s Nest) training center,” continues Ulysses, who ended up giving Vinicius a second home, closer to the center.
“It was always a crazy rush from practice to school and back home. After a while, he started staying at my house because he could no longer juggle school in São Gonçalo and training at Vargem Grande. »
For Vinicius, everything really started to change in 2017. Called up to play in the CONMEBOL Under-17 Championship, he finished top scorer and best player in addition to winning the collective title, inevitably attracting all eyes on him.
It did not take much time for Real Madrid to enter the dance and in turn try to sign him. It was in May of that year, days before making his professional debut with Flamengo, that Vinicius transferred to the Spanish club.
Since then, his life has been completely turned upside down. The Brazilian star has won the UEFA Champions League twice, the FIFA Club World Cup™, La Liga three times, participated in the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, and thus comes to win The Best – FIFA Player award.
However, Ulysses still sees in him the child who crossed entire towns just to play football. “It’s still the same person. This joy he has today when he gets up to train at Real Madrid is the same joy he had when he got up at 6 a.m. to take the bus to Flamengo. When he does what he loves most, playing football, he shows us the best version of himself. That’s who he is, and everyone who knows him knows that his smile is his biggest trademark. »
Acclaimed by his opponents
Among the many great moments that Vinicius was able to experience, there are two that Noval particularly remembers.
The first is none other than the advice given by several recruiters after seeing Vinicius “crush the competition” during the Copa Votorantim, a national U-15 tournament in Brazil. “They came to me and told me to watch over his state of mind off the field, because on the field, they had never seen a player like him at that age,” he remembers.
The second dates back to 2016, during the final of the U-17 Championship in Rio de Janeiro against Vasco da Gama. In the first leg, Flamengo won 4-0, with a goal and a spectacular performance from Vinicius. The striker received the ball on the left wing, as usual, and decided to show all his talent, impressing even the rival club’s players.
“The Vasco professional team was training earlier and stayed behind the goal to watch. When Vinicius managed a foul shot, they all applauded him, they were amazed. »
In the return match, the man who would become a major world star at Real Madrid scored two more goals (including one from a direct corner) which led his side to a crushing 6-1 title victory.
A strength drawn from his education
Vinicius’ talent is undeniable, but his current success certainly also depends on his personality, arguably the most important factor. On the one hand, there is his desire to constantly move forward, which has resulted in progress year after year since his arrival at Real Madrid, and of course his vision of the game.
“Vinicius was a boy who came into his matches and missed his first, second and third chances, but he kept trying and on the fourth or fifth he ended up scoring,” explains Noval. “Off the field, he is a boy who spreads joy wherever he goes. »
The sports director’s words echo the memories of Ulysses and the smile of Vinicius, now the best player on the planet.
“I think it (his success) comes from the hardships he went through as a child and the education his parents gave him. They had nothing, but they managed to raise him in an extraordinary way. The energy of this family is impressive and that helps make it even more special. »
