How Vinicius Jr Became Real Madrid's Talisman All Over Again
Vinicius Jr has gone from being booed at the Bernabéu to carrying Real Madrid's season. Here's how the Brazilian turned it all around.
From getting whistled off the park by his own fans to lighting up Da Luz — Vinicius Jr’s 2024/25 season has been one hell of a rollercoaster, and it’s not even done yet.
The Numbers Don’t Lie
Vini’s goal against Benfica was his eleventh of the season, and he’s also chipped in with eleven assists — making him the only Real Madrid player in double figures for both goals and contributions this campaign. That kind of output has become almost routine at Barcelona, but at the Bernabéu it’s been harder to come by with Mbappé hoovering up the goalscoring glory. Still, Vini’s doing his bit, and then some.
His Champions League record is starting to look properly serious too:
- 31 goals and 25 assists in the competition, aged just 25
- Only Messi and Cristiano have more UCL assists
- He’s level with De Bruyne, Müller and Benzema in that particular chart
- 13 knockout-stage goals, including one in each of Madrid’s last two final wins — Liverpool in 2022 and Dortmund in 2024
From the Dog House to the Driving Seat
It wasn’t long ago that things looked well dodgy between Vini and the Madrid faithful. Under Xabi Alonso, the relationship had become fractious — most notably after the Brazilian was subbed off during the Clásico at the Bernabéu, a situation that reportedly caused a proper falling out. The club left it between player and manager, and Vini apparently apologised to everyone except Xabi himself. Bit awkward, that.
When Álvaro Arbeloa came in, the first match — a Copa del Rey defeat to Albacete — saw Arbeloa publicly thank Vini for his willingness to play. Small gesture, big message.
But the road back wasn’t smooth. Against Levante, Vini was whistled by the Bernabéu faithful from the first minute to the last — more so than other so-called ‘rebels’ of the previous era like Bellingham or Valverde. Harsh doesn’t cover it.
The Monaco Moment and Beyond
Vini responded the only way he knows how — on the pitch. Against Monaco, he bagged a goal and three assists, and he hasn’t really looked back since. He’s added four more goals after that:
- vs Rayo Vallecano
- Two vs Real Sociedad (both penalties he won and converted himself)
- The strike at Benfica
With Mbappé carrying a knee issue and operating well below his best, Vini has stepped up as Madrid’s main man at the sharp end. He led the side against Real Sociedad with the Frenchman on the bench, and was the standout performer in Lisbon even with Mbappé back on the pitch.
The Ugly Bit
Of course, the Benfica goal was somewhat overshadowed by what followed — alleged racist abuse directed at Vini by Prestianni, which led to a temporary suspension of the match by referee François Lexetier. It’s a grim reminder that even when Vini’s doing everything right, the conversation still somehow ends up being about everything around him rather than the football itself. Proper diabolical, that.
The Bottom Line
Real Madrid are top of La Liga and closing in on the Champions League last 16. A big chunk of that is down to a Vinicius Jr who looked lost a few months ago and is now, once again, the heartbeat of this squad. At 25, with those UCL numbers already in the bank, the ceiling is still nowhere in sight.