“It’s been a very difficult process” - Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr opens up on reason behind poor form for Brazil
Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr spoke about his poor run of form for Brazil after the Selecao lost 1-0 to Paraguay in a World Cup qualifying game on September 10. Despite maintaining a spectacular form in Europe, the Real Madrid forward has struggled to perform for Brazil in the recent World Cup qualifier games.
The Selecao are currently fifth on the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifier rankings, with only eight points off ten games. The first six nations will directly qualify for the 2026 World Cup, which means the Selecao have to step up their game for the upcoming October fixtures to guarantee their qualification.
Speaking to Sportv, Vinicius Jr shed light on his poor form for Brazil and said (via GOAL):
"It's completely different [than playing for Real Madrid]. Games in Europe are different, the ball gets from one side [of the pitch] to the other faster... We have to know how to adapt so that everyone plays better so that we can win games."
The forward added:
"We apologize to the fans, who are always on our side. But this is a difficult time, we just want to improve... I know my potential, I know what I can do for the national team. Of course, it's been a very difficult process because when you don't have confidence, you don't get goals, you don't get assists and good performances."
In their World Cup qualifying games in September, the Selecao secured a 1-0 victory over Ecuador on September 8 before their 1-0 loss to Paraguay on September 10. However, Vinicius did not score or set up any goals in either match, securing an average 6.6 Sofascore rating in both games.
Vini last scored a brace for Brazil in a group-stage game against Paraguay in the 2024 Copa America. However, the campaign was a disappointing one for the Selecao as they bowed out of the competition after a 4-2 loss on penalties to Uruguay in the quarter-final. Vini was not available for the match due to suspension.
"We want to get Brazil out of this situation" - Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr assures Brazil fans they will improve
In the aforementioned interview with Sportv, Vinicius Jr assured fans that the team would do everything possible to get Brazil out of this situation. The Real Madrid forward said:
"We know the situation we're in, we want to get Brazil out of this situation at any cost, we all have to go home now and start thinking about what we can do to get back to playing well. We cannot come here, lose these points and play the way we did. It is a difficult time, we must take on board all the criticism and return as quickly as possible to put Brazil on top."
Reflecting on his own performance, Vini Jr added:
"I know what I can improve. I know what I represent. When I'm better, I'll give everyone else a lot of peace of mind. I know my responsibility, I want to improve as quickly as possible."
Following the international break, Vini Jr is set to return to training with Real Madrid. Los Blancos will face Real Sociedad in an away clash on September 15. Real Madrid will also begin their UEFA Champions League campaign on September 18 with their first league phase game against VfB Stuttgart.