📹 Vini Jr on Neymar inspiration: Idol, I try to copy everything he does | OneFootball

This Saturday (13), the Brazilian National Team kicks off its FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign.

The road to a sixth title begins at 7 p.m. Brasília time against Morocco at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, in the opening match of Group C.

On the eve of the match, Vini Jr — one of the national team's biggest stars — spoke at a press conference.

About to play in his second World Cup, the Real Madrid star revealed that Neymar, who is set to play in the tournament for the fourth time, is his inspiration.

"The days here with the national team are the best days of my life. I’m with the best people I’ve played with since childhood, like Paquetá and Bruno Guimarães, who have always been my friends. Being able to play alongside them, having the joy of representing my country, there’s nothing better."

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"There’s also Neymar — we’re hoping he comes back as soon as possible. He’s my idol. Every move I learned was by watching him and everything I’ve done on the pitch was to try to do it like Neymar. Having him back is something very important. I listened to his advice when I was promoted to the senior team, and having him close is something special. I hope that tomorrow all that tension you mentioned goes away, because of how eager we are to represent our country, to play in another World Cup again — that’s the joy we feel inside."

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.

📸 NELSON ALMEIDA - AFP or licensors