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.”
