News Focus
- Carlo Ancelotti admits Brazil currently lacks a global icon like Pele or Ronaldo
- Vinicius Junior has managed just seven goals in 28 appearances for the Selecao
- A recent poll shows 53% of Brazilian supporters still favour Neymar over Vinicius
- The Real Madrid winger admits international duty brings heavier pressure than club football
Carlo Ancelotti has admitted that Brazil does not possess a world-class superstar at the moment. The new Brazil manager made this clear during a press conference before a friendly match against Panama. He explained that while the current squad lacks names like Pele, Romario or Ronaldo, the team can still succeed through collective responsibility.
Most observers expected Vinicius Junior to fill this gap. The Real Madrid forward has become one of the best players in Europe. However, he has struggled to copy his club form when wearing the yellow shirt of Brazil.
Four years after Brazil lost to Croatia in the 2022 World Cup quarter-finals, questions still surround the 25-year-old. Following a 2-1 defeat to France in March, television programmes in Brazil asked if Vinicius should lose his place in the starting eleven.
The statistics support these doubts. Vinicius has scored only seven goals and provided six assists in 28 matches for his country during this World Cup cycle. This is modest for a player who dominates matches in La Liga.
Cleber Xavier, a former assistant coach for Brazil, believes the problem is structural. He told BBC Sport that playing for your country is harder than it looks. “At your club, you train differently and play with the same team-mates every week,” he said. “The national team meets less often, so building understanding is difficult.”
Xavier compared Vinicius to Lionel Messi with Argentina. Messi faced similar criticism until Argentina built a strong team structure and won the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Vinicius himself understands the frustration. In a recent interview, he said club football offers chances every three days. “If I play badly in two games out of ten for Real Madrid, nobody speaks much about it,” he explained. “But with Brazil, months pass between matches. The pressure is always huge.”
He believes one good tournament will change everything. “If I score four or five goals at the World Cup and we become champions, people will say I was preparing all along,” he stated.
Off the pitch, Vinicius is already Brazil’s biggest commercial star. He has fourteen sponsorship deals, more than any other player in the squad. Yet he lacks the emotional connection that Neymar enjoys with Brazilian fans.
Eduardo Musa, a marketing expert who worked with Neymar, explained the difference. “Neymar stayed at Santos for two years and Brazilian fans watched him every week,” he said. “Vinicius left earlier before he was an established starter at Flamengo. Neymar also has charisma and is the team’s all-time top scorer.”
A Datafolha poll showed 53% of fans want Neymar in the World Cup squad ahead of Vinicius. This is despite Neymar being 34 years old and recovering from serious injuries.
The Brazilian Football Confederation tried to make Vinicius the main face of the team. In March, they gave him the number ten shirt after Rodrygo’s injury. However, when Neymar returned to Santos, the shirt went back to him.
Now, as Brazil prepare for the next World Cup, Vinicius says he is ready to lead. “I am the one everyone talks about because I have had five or six great seasons at Real Madrid,” he said. “I want this responsibility. I know I can improve and reach a higher level.”
Ancelotti will hope that his former player can finally translate his Madrid magic to the international stage and silence the doubters.