Rivaldo backs Real Madrid star to overtake PSG's Neymar and become Brazil's top scorer in the UCL
Rivaldo recently backed Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Junior to overtake Neymar Jr. as Brazil's all-time top scorer in the UEFA Champions League. The Paris Saint-Germain forward has scored 43 goals in the UCL.
Vinicius, meanwhile, scored his 15th goal when the youngster bagged a sensational goal from outside the box in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League semi-finals against Manchester City.
On his blog for Betfair, Rivaldo wrote:
"Following a difficult start in which Vini Jr. struggled to establish himself as a starter at Real Madrid, partly due to his finishing problems, he is now the team's key player, and he showed it once again against Manchester City."
He added:
"His goal from outside the box only confirms his evolution as a goalscorer and that makes him a very fearsome player, as not only can he unbalance defenders and provide assists, he now has the ability to take the shot himself and score."
Rivaldo continued:
"He has reached 15 goals in the Champions League at the age of 22 and I believe he could well become the highest Brazilian scorer in the competition, thus surpassing both Kaká (30) and Neymar (43)."
Despite his age, Vinicius has already proven to be a difference-maker for Real Madrid in tight matches. He scored the winner against Liverpool in last season's final.
The Brazilian has been pivotal for Carlo Ancelotti's team so far this season, scoring 23 goals and providing 21 assists in 51 matches across competitions. Vinicius has scored seven goals and has provided five assists in 11 UEFA Champions League matches this season.
Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Junior once named Neymar as his idol
Neymar has influenced many youngsters with his tricks and flairs on the pitch. The Brazilian number 10, alongside the likes of Ronaldinho, Robinho, and Cristiano Ronaldo, is one of the most skillful players to ever grace the game.
Real Madrid's Vinicius once called the PSG superstar his idol. In a 2019 interview, when Vinicius was only 19 years old, the attacker told Fox Sports (via MARCA):
"Neymar is my idol and I try to imitate many things that he does on the pitch. He always sends me videos of his plays and he says: 'Do the same, youngster.' He does things like nobody else on the pitch."
The pair are currently teammates in the Brazil national team and were a part of the Selecao's attack during the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. The five-time world champions crashed out of the quarter-finals after a penalty shootout loss to Croatia.