Why Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr struggles playing for Brazil?

The 24-year-old has scored only five goals for the national team.

The most talked about subject has been Vinicius Jr’s performance for Brazil. It has always put him under scrutiny as the 24-year-old seemingly always fails to step up for the national team.

Vinicius has been the most pivotal player for Real Madrid, and when he plays for them he makes an excellent impact with his dribbling, agility and goalscoring prowess. But when he plays for Brazil we witness someone who is almost a shadow of himself, a whole new & different player.

Vinicius Jr has always been an impactful player for the Spanish club. He is already one of those players whom the club can count on when they are playing poorly. Since joining the club in 2018, the former Flamengo forward has 87 goals and 82 assists for Los Blancos.

He made his debut for the national team in 2019 and so far has made 34 appearances, scoring just five goals. It seems like he never really settled well at the national team. If his performance persists as such then the Selecao might avoid calling Vinicius for major competitions.

Why Vinicius Jr has struggled for Brazil?

The 24-year-old’s inability to contribute to the national squad can be attributed to numerous factors. Vinicius possesses all the qualities necessary to be among the greatest Brazilian players. But he abruptly changes into someone else for them (Brazil). It suggests that if he keeps playing this way, he may never be able to have a bigger influence in the national team.

Vinicius’ key reason has been that he feels that the playing style is different in Europe compared to Brazil’s style. He says that the ball moves quickly in Europe which is true as football in Europe is way different compared to South American football. However, because Vinicius has been an integral part of the Selecao since 2019, he shouldn’t make such justifications for his mediocre play.

Another reason could be that Brazil’s game has revolved around their star player Neymar, who has been the most impactful player for them. When a game is established around one player certain players do struggle to settle in the squad. Vinicius would also want the limelight given he has now grown into a prominent player, at least for Real Madrid.

For the national team, Vinicius has been substituted often which has been a very rare case scenario at Real Madrid. He was replaced many times during their recent Copa America (2024). In the 2022 World Cup quarterfinal against Croatia, which the Selecao ended up losing, we even saw him get substituted.

His position is also different when playing for the club and national side. The forward is given the freedom to roam around in the attacking line in Los Blancos, while at the national team, he operates more as an orthodox forward wide on the left.

Some of these issues are minor hurdles, while others can be resolved. Let’s hope that he will eventually regain his form and contribute to the national squad. Given his enormous potential and ability to take the game by storm, Vinicius Jr should never be overlooked.

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