“His level is difficult to control” - Pachuca coach says Real Madrid ace Vinicius is ‘best player in the world’ alongside 25-year-old star
Pachuca head coach Guillermo Almada heaped praise on Real Madrid superstars Vinicius Jr. and Kylian Mbappe after the Intercontinental Cup final. The duo scored as Los Blancos won 3-0 at the Lusail Stadium in Qatar on Wednesday, December 18.
Mbappe opened the scoring in the 37th minute after a brilliant assist from the Brazilian ace. Rodrygo Goes then made it 2-0 in the 53rd minute from a good striker from the edge of the box. Vinicius completed the scoring from the penalty spot in the 84th minute after Lucas Vazquez was deemed to have been fouled in the box.
After the game, Guillermo Almada heaped praise on the Real Madrid superstars, saying (via Goal):
"Vinicius is the best in the world, along with Mbappe, and his level is difficult to control on a permanent basis. Until the goal, Vinicius did not appear but then, in a second, he did that and, that type of player is difficult to control for 90 minutes."
Mbappe, 25, returned to the starting XI on Wednesday and registered one goal and one assist in 62 minutes. He completed 6/5 dribble attempts, made two key passes, and won 5/7 duels.
Vinicius, meanwhile, played the entire game and registered one goal and one assist. He created one big chance, made two key passes, completed 2/4 dribble attempts, and won 7/10 duels.
Real Madrid winger Vinicius Jr. wins FIFA The Best Men's Player award for 2024
The Brazilian winger was announced as the winner of the FIFA The Best Men's Player award for 2024 on Tuesday. After winning the prize, he shared a heartfelt post on Instagram, writing:
"VENI. VIDI. VICI. Today I write to that boy who saw so many idols lift this trophy... your time has come. Or rather, my time has come. The time to say... yes, I am the best player in the world and I fought hard for it.
"They tried and still try to invalidate me, to diminish me. But they are not prepared. No one is going to tell me who I should fight for, how I should behave. When I was in São Gonçalo, the system didn't care about me. I was almost swallowed up.
"I won for myself, for my family. With a lot of support along the way: Flamengo, Real Madrid, the Brazilian National Team, my hundreds of teammates over the years... the people who accompany me daily in my routine, those who admire me... THE BEST PLAYER IN THE WORLD!"
The 24-year-old scored 24 goals and provided 11 assists in 39 games across competitions for Real Madrid last season. He helped them win the UEFA Champions League, LaLiga, and Supercopa de Espana.