🇧🇷 No Neymar, Vini steps up and says he's ready to lead Brazil | OneFootball

In excellent form at Real Madrid, Vinícius Júnior showed maturity and confidence when speaking about his role in the Brazilian National Team without star player Neymar.

During a press conference held this Wednesday (25) in Orlando, the forward said he is ready to take on the responsibility of being one of Brazil’s main technical leaders and assured that he is fully focused on preparing for the World Cup.

Despite the expectations placed on his game, the No. 7 emphasized that he does not need to carry the team alone.

Vini Jr. pointed out that the National Team has other great names, specifically mentioning Raphinha, João Pedro, Estêvão, and Endrick as players who can also take on the leading role.

The forward’s focus is clear: to bring the good form he is enjoying in Spain to Brazil, helping the team win titles without the vanity of needing to be the top scorer.

The player also made a point of defending Neymar, who has been absent from the latest call-ups.

For Vini, the pressure on the No. 10 is natural, reinforcing that he is an idol and one of the best players the squad wants to play with.

When analyzing the National Team’s current situation, Vinícius admitted that Brazil does not arrive at the World Cup as the outright favorite because of its poor record in the qualifiers.

However, he praised Carlo Ancelotti’s impact as head coach. According to the forward, the Italian manager brought a clear playing philosophy and managed to lift the weight off the players’ shoulders, allowing the group to work with more calm and patience.

The Brazilian National Team has two major fixtures ahead. The first match takes place against France this Thursday (26) in the city of Boston.

After that, the team will face Croatia on March 31 in Orlando.

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

📸 EITAN ABRAMOVICH