Vini Jr masters the penalty spot with 'Jorginho method'
The Brazilian star has found his penalty-taking groove, adopting the distinctive hop technique made famous by Jorginho to solve his spot-kick struggles.
Real Madrid’s Brazilian wizard has finally cracked the penalty code after years of uncertainty from the spot.
The new technique
Twice in one night against Real Sociedad, Vinicius Jr approached the penalty spot with the same ritual - a distinctive little hop mid-run-up, feet leaving the ground for a split second, eyes fixed on goalkeeper Remiro until the final moment. Two corners, two goals, and a settled debt with his penalty-taking past.
The technique has a clear inspiration: Jorge Luiz Frello Filho, better known as Jorginho. The Italian-Brazilian midfielder has been bamboozling keepers for years with this deceptively simple approach - that little jump during the run-up giving him just enough time to read which way the keeper dives before placing it the opposite way.
It’s not the illegal ‘paradinha’ (full stop) that’s banned in the rules - it’s a piece of footballing magic with regulatory approval. Against Remiro, it worked a treat both times. The Sociedad keeper only guessed right on the second attempt, but Vini placed it perfectly.
Brazilian heritage
The technique isn’t Jorginho’s invention, though. Its roots are as Brazilian as Vinicius himself. Didí, the elegant midfielder from the 1958 and 1962 World Cups, first began playing with goalkeeper timing from the spot. Pelé admitted nicking the idea, calling it ‘paradinha’ and popularizing it at the 1970 World Cup.
FIFA has banned it, allowed it, banned it again. Neymar pushed the boundaries in 2010 until IFAB drew a clear line: stopping completely when reaching the ball is illegal; changing rhythm within the run-up is perfectly legal. Jorginho, who grew up in Brazil before moving to Europe, absorbed this heritage and made it his trademark. Now Vini’s borrowed it to solve his spot-kick struggles.
Confirmation came post-match
The acknowledgment came after the game via Instagram, where Vinicius tagged Jorginho (currently at his beloved Flamengo) in a photo taken during one of his penalties - an apprentice’s nod to the master.
But it’s not just about scoring penalties - Vini’s brilliant at winning them too. The two on Saturday brought his LaLiga total to 14 won since his debut, just behind Budimir (15) and well ahead of the likes of Borja Iglesias, Fekir and Kike García. Those numbers add to his impressive tally of 200 goal contributions in the famous white shirt.
The penalty spot was one of the few areas where the Brazilian hadn’t quite found his feet in Madrid. Now, with a bit of help from a compatriot’s technique, he’s added another string to his bow. Talk about having all the tools in the box!