10 years after being top scorer in India, Vini Jr returns with Brazil | OneFootball

Vini Jr. returns to India ten years after finishing as Brazil U-17’s top scorer; look back at Flamengo academy product’s 2016 title

Ten years after finishing as top scorer in India, Vinicius Júnior returns to the country this Saturday (03) with Brazil’s senior national team. The return marks a special moment for the player, who came through Flamengo’s youth ranks.

THE FIRST CLASH BETWEEN BRAZIL AND INDIA

This Saturday’s (03) friendly between Brazil and India will be held at Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan Stadium, known as Salt Lake, in Kolkata. Kickoff is scheduled for 11 a.m. (Brasília time). One of the key names in Ancelotti’s team, Vini Jr is expected to start.

As such, the match will be the first-ever meeting between the two countries’ senior national teams. “It’s something special for us. Playing here against India is different; it doesn’t happen often. We hope to play a great match and come back here more times,” Vini Jr. said.

VINI JR’S GOALSCORING FEAT IN THE 2016 BRICS CUP

Ten years ago, at 16, the forward was coming through Flamengo’s youth setup. Vini Jr. then played in the BRICS Cup, a tournament involving the alliance of Brazil, Russia, China, South Africa and host nation India.

During the campaign, the No. 7 scored five goals in five matches and finished as top scorer in Brazil’s title-winning run. “They are great memories because I came here when I was just a kid. The fans here follow me closely, they love football, they love Brazil, and I’m happy to be back here,” Vini Jr. recalled.

Photo: CBF Archive

OTHER FLAMENGO NAMES IN THAT SQUAD

Vini Jr. was not alone in that campaign. Full-back Wesley Andrade and forward Lincoln Correa also played for Flamengo in the same U-17 squad, coached by Carlos Amadeu. Even so, a year later, the group repeated the feat by winning the South American U-17 Championship, once again with Vini Jr. among the champions.

VINI JR’S DEVELOPMENT AT NINHO DO URUBU

Vinicius Júnior came through Flamengo’s youth ranks, where he began his journey in futsal and later moved to the pitch at Ninho do Urubu. He joined the club around the age of 10, in 2010.

However, his professional debut only came in May 2017, in a 1-1 draw against Atlético-MG. For Flamengo, the forward played 70 official matches, scoring 14 goals and providing five assists. Still in 2017, at the age of 16, he was sold to Real Madrid (ESP) for 45 million euros. At the time, the transfer emerged as one of the biggest in the history of Brazilian football.

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