VinĂcius JĂșnior is under pressure to lead Brazil in the upcoming World Cup after struggling to replicate his club form on the national team. Brazil faces challenges with team cohesion and injuries as they aim to reclaim their status among the world's elite.
There are few footballers in the past five years who have been more decisive in big games than VinĂcius JĂșnior. Since 2021, VinĂcius has had the most goal contributions in Champions League knockouts. He has also scored in two Champions League finals and has been a superstar coming up clutch over and over again for his club. Admittedly, the last two seasons have been rough for the left winger for a variety of reasons, and Brazil fans are still waiting for the Real Madrid version of VinĂcius to arrive to the national team, where his performances have paled in comparison.
The Brazilian has struggled at Real Madrid co-existing with Kylian MbappĂ©, who arrived in the summer of 2024. In Brazil, the problems are multiple and canât be explained without tracing back the lack of tactical structure instilled by former head coach Dorival Junior. Under Dorival, there was little cohesiveness in attack. The system was overly-fluid with too much freedom. This Brazil team is not as loaded as previous generations where stars could link up with each other in abundance, make the right runs and provide elite final execution. VinĂcius is often isolated, which makes him easy to defend, as opponents know they can congest his space, send multiple defenders toward him and stall Brazilâs attack. To make matters worse, Brazil struggled getting production from their full-backs to give the wingers proper support. They donât have a creative hub in the center of midfield who can control tempo and create prolifically.
VinĂcius is struggling with team cohesion and often finds himself isolated, making it easier for opponents to defend against him.
VinĂcius scored one goal during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, but has not yet reached his full potential with the national team.
Brazil will face Morocco on June 13, Haiti on June 19, and Scotland on June 24 in the World Cup qualifiers.
Carlo Ancelotti's coaching could help unlock VinĂcius's potential, similar to his success at Real Madrid, which may be crucial for Brazil's success.
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Raphinhaâs emergence as a superstar in his own right is a big help. If thereâs anyone that can unlock VinĂciusâs best, itâs new coach Carlo Ancelotti, who inspired a Ballon dâOr level version of the Brazilian at Real Madrid. VinĂcius has played in just one World Cup, where he scored one goal in the 2022 tournament in Qatar. There will be a tremendous amount of pressure on him in the upcoming World Cup, where Brazil will lean on his shoulders and opponents will know how to frustrate him. Among the stars of the World Cup, VinĂcius has one of the toughest paths to success given the state of the Brazilian national team as well as his own lack of production for them so far. If everything clicks, though, Brazil have the superstar required to make a run to the final. Rekindling his relationship with Carlo Ancelotti in a cup competition could be just what Brazil need to realize success again.
Outside of VinĂcius, Brazil have yet to find answers to their fullback and creative midfield problems. They donât have a prolific striker either who can be a reliable target and goalscorer at the level the team has had in the past. ACL injuries to, Ăder MilitĂŁo Rodrygo Goes, as well as question marks over the health of EstĂȘvĂŁo make the journey even more complicated. In Brazilâs biggest game of the qualifiers, against Argentina, they were played off the park in a 4-1 loss. There are huge concerns about this teamâs ceiling when they will inevitably face the best nations in the world in the knockout stages. Brazil are still expected to top their group, but it wonât be easy. Matches against Morocco and Scotland in particular will be challenging.