History of Vinícius Júnior in Timeline

Vinícius Júnior, also known as Vini Jr., is a highly regarded Brazilian professional footballer. He excels as a forward for Real Madrid in La Liga and represents the Brazil national team. Acknowledged as one of the world's top players, Vinícius Júnior is celebrated for his exceptional speed, refined technique, and impressive dribbling skills.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

July 2000: Vinícius Júnior's Birth

In July 2000, Vinícius José Paixão de Oliveira Júnior, known as Vinícius Júnior, was born. He is a Brazilian professional footballer known for playing as a forward for Real Madrid and the Brazil national team.

Others born on this day/year

2006: Start of Footballing Career

In 2006, Vinícius Júnior's footballing career began when his father took him to Flamengo's branch offices.

2007: Futsal Classes at Flamengo's School

Between 2007 and 2010, Vinícius attended futsal classes at Flamengo's school in São Gonçalo.

2009: Futsal Trial for Flamengo

In 2009, when Vinícius was nine, he took a futsal trial for Flamengo and was asked to return the following year.

August 2010: Flamengo Youth Team Invitation

In August 2010, Vinícius Júnior had a trial to play for the Flamengo youth team, and he accepted an invitation to play for their football team.

October 2015: Brazil U-15 Call-Up and Championship

In October 2015, Vinícius was called up for Brazil for the South American U-15 Championship. Vinícius and Brazil won the U-15 title, and he was the 2nd top-scorer of the tournament. He was named player of the tournament.

2015: South American U-15 Championship Victory

In 2015, Vinícius played a key role in Brazil's victory at the South American U-15 Championship.

June 2016: Friendly against Chile U-17

On 24 June 2016, Vinícius was called up for a friendly against Chile U-17 and scored two goals and provided two assists in the 4–2 victory.

March 2017: South American U-17 Championship Debut

In March 2017, Vinícius debuted in the South American U-17 Championship for Brazil, leading Brazil to win the South American U-17 Championship, he was named the tournament's best player and was top goal-scorer with seven goals.

May 2017: Real Madrid Contract

In May 2017, Real Madrid signed a contract to acquire Vinícius, effective after his 18th birthday. The transfer fee was reported as €46 million.

May 2017: Flamengo Debut and Contract Extension

In May 2017, Vinícius debuted for Flamengo and extended his contract with the club, increasing his buyout clause.

August 2017: First Professional Goal

In August 2017, Vinícius scored the first professional goal of his career in a Copa Sudamericana match against Palestino. Later that month, he scored his first Brazilian Série A goals for Flamengo against Atlético Goianiense.

2017: South American U-17 Championship Victory

In 2017, Vinícius was a key player in Brazil's victory at the South American U-17 Championship, finishing as the leading goalscorer.

2017: Flamengo Senior Debut

In 2017, at age 16, Vinícius made his senior debut for Flamengo. Shortly after, he was subject of a £38 million transfer to Real Madrid.

July 2018: Scheduled Return to Brazil on Loan

In July 2018, Vinícius was originally scheduled to return to Brazil on loan after his transfer to Real Madrid.

July 2018: Obligation to Sell to Real Madrid

In July 2018, there was an obligation to sell Vinícius to Real Madrid, which was part of an agreement between the two clubs.

July 2018: Official Presentation as Real Madrid Player

On 20 July 2018, Vinícius Júnior was officially presented as a Real Madrid player and issued squad number 28.

2018: Real Madrid Debut

In 2018, after turning 18, Vinícius Júnior debuted for Real Madrid, following a £38 million transfer from Flamengo.

February 2019: Ligament Tear

In February 2019, Vinícius tore a ligament during a loss to Ajax, ending his season.

February 2019: First Call-Up to Brazil National Team

On 28 February 2019, Vinícius was called up to the Brazil national team for the first time for friendlies against Panama and the Czech Republic.

December 2019: First UEFA Champions League Goal

In December 2019, Vinícius scored his first UEFA Champions League goal in a match against Club Brugge.

2019: Contract Extension

In May 2017, Vinícius debuted for Flamengo and extended his contract with the club from 2019 until 2022.

March 2020: First Goal in El Clásico

In March 2020, Vinícius scored the first goal in El Clásico against Barcelona. Real Madrid won the 2019–20 La Liga.

2020: Champions League Quarter-Finals

In April 2021, Vinícius scored two goals in a 3–1 win against Liverpool in the first leg of the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League quarter-finals.

2020: Past Season

The goals were his sixth and seventh of the league season and his eighth and ninth overall, surpassing his total output of six goals in all competitions during the 2020–21 season in just 14 matches.

April 2021: Two Goals Against Liverpool

In April 2021, Vinícius scored two goals in a Champions League match against Liverpool.

2021: Senior Debut for Brazil

In 2021, Vinícius made his senior debut for Brazil and helped his nation to a runner-up finish at the Copa América.

2021: Champions League Team of the Season

Vinícius ended the 2021–22 season as Real Madrid's second-best goalscorer with 22 goals in all competitions. For his performances Vinícius was named the inaugural Champions League young player of the season and included in the 2021–22 UEFA Champions League team of the season.

2021: Start of the 2021-22 Season

Vinícius started the 2021–22 season by scoring Real Madrid's fourth goal in a 4–1 away victory over Alavés on the opening day of the La Liga campaign.

May 2022: First Hat-Trick for Real Madrid

On 12 May 2022, Vinícius scored his first hat-trick for Real Madrid in a 6–0 victory over Levante.

2022: Champions League Team of the Tournament Selection

He was selected in the 2022–23 UEFA Champions League team of the tournament.

2022: 2022 FIFA World Cup Participation

In 2022, Vinícius represented Brazil at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

2022: Champions League Final Goal

In 2022, Vinícius scored the winning goal in the Champions League final, contributing to Real Madrid's La Liga–Champions League double.

2022: Contract Extension

In May 2017, Vinícius debuted for Flamengo and extended his contract with the club from 2019 until 2022.

2022: FIFA Club World Cup

On 11 February, Real Madrid defeated Al-Hilal 5–3 in the 2022 FIFA Club World Cup final as Vinícius scored a brace to claim the tournament's best player award and his second Club World Cup title.

February 2023: Comeback Win Against Liverpool

On 21 February 2023, Vinícius scored two first-half goals to power Real Madrid's 5–2 comeback win at Anfield against Liverpool in the first leg of their Champions League knockout stage round of 16 tie.

May 2023: Champions League semi-final goal

On 9 May 2023, Vinícius scored a goal in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final against Manchester City, which ended in a 1-1 draw.

August 2023: Decisive Goal and Injury

In August 2023, Vinícius scored the decisive goal against Almería. Later in August 2023, he sustained an injury to his right biceps femoris muscle.

September 2023: Return After Injury

In September 2023, Vinícius made his return to play in a league fixture against Las Palmas after recovering from his injury.

October 2023: Contract Extension with Real Madrid

On 31 October 2023, Real Madrid announced that they had extended Vinícius' contract until 30 June 2027.

2023: Iconic Jersey Number

In 2023, Real Madrid confirmed that Vinícius would be sporting the club's iconic No. 7 jersey, from the 2023–24 season onwards.

2023: Inclusion in FIFPRO World XI

In 2023, Vinícius was included in the FIFPRO World XI, recognizing him as one of the best players in the world.

January 2024: Supercopa de España Hat-Trick

On 14 January 2024, Vinícius scored a hat-trick in a 4–1 victory over Barcelona in the Supercopa de España final.

October 2024: Continental Hat-Trick

On 22 October 2024, Vinícius scored his first continental hat-trick in a 5–2 comeback win against Borussia Dortmund.

November 2024: Vinícius discovers his African roots through DNA test

In November 2024, Vinícius underwent a DNA test revealing his ancestry traces back to the Tikar people of Cameroon. The Confederation of Brazil Football (CBF) formally presented him with the certificate of his ancestry.

2024: 2024 Copa América Participation

In 2024, Vinícius represented Brazil at the Copa América in the United States.

2024: Champions League Final Goal and Player of the Season Award

In 2024, Vinícius scored the winning goal in the Champions League final for the second time and was named the tournament's Player of the Season. He was also named The Best FIFA Men's Player and came runner up in the Ballon d'Or.

2024: Second Champions League Trophy and Player of the Season

On 1 June 2024, Vinícius scored in Real Madrid's 2–0 win over Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League Final, winning his second trophy in the competition. Two days later, he was named the UEFA Champions League Player of the Season.

January 2025: 100th and 101st Goals for Real Madrid

On 22 January 2025, Vinícius scored his 100th and 101st goals for Real Madrid in a 5–1 Champions League win over Red Bull Salzburg, becoming the 23rd player to achieve this feat for the club.