Real Madrid told brutal but ‘simple’ Vinicius Junior truth amid ‘leader’ Casemiro comparison | OneFootball

Dunga has brutally said that Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior is not a leader, while praising his Brazil international team-mate and Manchester United midfielder Casemiro.

Vinicius Junior has been making the headlines ever since his public bust-up with Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso against Barcelona in El Clasico. While the Brazilian star subsequently apologised on X for his behaviour, lack of progress on a new contract to extend his current deal beyond the summer of 2027 has sparked speculation on his future.

Two sources have claimed that Manchester City are interested in a 2026 deal for Vinicius Junior, whose form so far this season has been patchy.

For a player who came agonisingly close to winning the 2024 Ballon d’Or, a return of five goals and four assists in 16 appearances this season for Real Madrid is simply not good enough.

Vinicius Junior has not always been great for Brazil either. Since making his debut for the Selecao in 2019, the 25-year-old has scored just eight goals in 44 appearances for his national team.

Brazil legend Dunga believes that the reason why Vinicius Junior plays better for Madrid than for the national side is that he is not a leader.

One of the greatest defensive midfielders of all time, Dunga has also hailed former Madrid star Casemiro.

Dunga believes that Casemiro, who has re-established himself as a key figure for Man Utd under Ruben Amorim this season, is the leader that Brazil need to win the 2026 World Cup finals next summer.

Dunga told Marca when asked if Vinicius Junior is a leader for Brazil: “In my opinion, Vini is a technical, footballing leader, not a locker room leader, not what you’d call a traditional captain.

“Vini is a technical leader, someone who makes plays, who takes the initiative. And Brazil still needs a locker room leader.”

When prompted about Man Utd midfielder Casemiro, Dunga said: “He can be that leader, yes. He’s needed.

“It’s been a while since we had that figure, and a leader isn’t made, you either are or you aren’t.

“And putting that responsibility on Vinicius isn’t good for him. People ask: Why does he work well at Real Madrid but not with the national team? It’s simple.

“Because at Madrid, he only has to worry about playing, and there are other leaders who occupy that position in the locker room.

“At Madrid, Vini only has to worry about playing. In Brazil, he doesn’t.”

When asked about Vinicius Junior’s social behaviour, Dunga said: “We can all always do better. And when we make mistakes, we should reflect, take a step back, and correct them. I learned that when someone attacks you, sometimes it’s not worth responding.”

How Vinicius Junior and Casemiro fared for Brazil against Senegal

Both Vinicius Junior and Casemiro featured for Brazil in their 2-0 win against Senegal at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium on Saturday.

Brazil manager Carlo Ancelotti deployed Vinicius Junior in attack alongside Man Utd forward Matheus Cunha.

Casemiro lined up in defensive midfield alongside Newcastle United star Bruno Guimaraes and scored the second goal in the 35th  minute.

Globo rated Casemiro 9 out of 10 in the match and noted: “One of the great names of Carlo Ancelotti’s passage through the National Team.

“Firm and safe defensively, he has been increasingly participative in the offensive phase.

“Estevao’s goal comes from a condition of Casemiro building from the inside until the ball is left for the young man, and scored the second in a rehearsed play that had already worked against Chile and South Korea, in bids in which he was caught offside.”

Vinicius Junior got 6.5 out of 10, with Globo noting: “He started the game centrally, like a true centre-forward, and forced (Senegal goalkeeper) Edouard Mendy to make a great save on a run in the first half.

“Faced with Senegal’s courage in attacking, he had the perception to exploit the space behind the defence to launch a run.

“In the second half, he played more on the left, especially with the introduction of Joao Pedro, and managed some good individual plays.

“In one of them, Estevao almost scored the third goal.”

Meanwhile, Dunga has also Rodrygo what he should do about his Real Madrid career, as sources tell TEAMtalk that Manchester City are keen on signing the Brazil international winger in the January transfer window.

Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has revealed the chances of Real Madrid signing Liverpool duo Dominik Szoboszlai and Ibrahima Konate in 2026.