Ex-Flamengo's Vini Jr on Brazil's No 10 shirt: “Neymar is…” | OneFootball

Brazil face Morocco this Saturday (13), with Vinicius Júnior in the squad

The Brazil National Team make their 2026 World Cup debut this Saturday (13). As a result, questions are swirling around Neymar, who will not play against Morocco. However, Vinicius Jr., developed by Flamengo, highlighted how important Brazil’s number 10 is even from the sidelines.

– Neymar is my idol. Every move I learned and made on the pitch was an attempt to do it like him. Having him back is something very important -, Vini Jr said at a press conference for the national team in the United States this Friday (12).

Why won’t Neymar play against Morocco?

Tests diagnosed the Santos star with a grade-two injury in his right calf. As a result, the player has not even trained with the group on the field with the ball since reporting for the World Cup camp.

The Seleção coaching staff, however, have not defined the exact match in which the Santos player will be available to Carlo Ancelotti. Still, there is a possibility the forward could get some minutes in Group C’s second match, against Haiti.

Why does Vini look up to Neymar?

Younger players in general idolize Neymar because of the successful career of the Santos star. After all, the forward is the top scorer in Brazil national team history, with 79 goals, two more than Pelé, the King of Football.

Have Vini Jr and Neymar played together before?

The player developed by Flamengo and the Santos player have only played together for the Brazil National Team. As such, the duo have played 16 matches for the Seleção, with three defeats. In that span, the Real Madrid forward scored one goal from an assist by his idol.

Have Vinicius and Ney ever played against each other?

The Real Madrid (ESP) forward had to face his hero on two occasions. Both, however, came in the 2021/22 Champions League, when Neymar was still at PSG (FRA). On that occasion, the clash of generations took place in the round of 16.

The veteran, who was 31 at the time, beat the young player’s team, then 21, in the first leg. The number 10 provided the assist for Mbappé’s goal, the only one of the match. Then, in the return leg, Vini Jr got revenge with an assist for one of Benzema’s three goals in Real Madrid’s 3-1 win.

Where to watch Brazil vs Morocco?

With Vini Jr available, Brazil’s 2026 World Cup opener will be broadcast on free-to-air television from 7pm (Brasília time). That is because Grupo Globo and SBT will show the match, while SporTV (subscription channel), GE TV (YouTube) and CazéTV (YouTube) will stream it online.

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