After a brace against Salzburg, Vinicius has reached the 100-goal mark for Real Madrid. Two beautiful goals and the best player award once again proved that, despite the appearance of Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius' importance remains unshaken.
After the match, the Brazilian striker said the MVP award should go to Rodrygo or Bellingham. Compared to his image many years ago, the 24-year-old star is becoming more and more mature, with the mentality of a world-class player.
Vinicius' performance against Salzburg was marred only by a yellow card for diving. In 26 games since the start of the season, Vinicius has received 10 yellow cards and 1 straight red card, the most for Real Madrid. From December 22, 2024 until the match against Salzburg, he has missed 4/10 games due to suspension. This is a somewhat alarming statistic.
When the Bernabeu announcer read out the starting lineup, Mbappe's name was mentioned last. Normally, that position is reserved for Vinicius because the last name to come off the loudspeaker will receive the loudest cheers from the fans. Things are different now, but it doesn't seem to affect the winner of The Best 2024.
When he felt that, Vinicius still did not show any negative attitude. He even thought that the appearance of Mbappe would help him and Rodrygo compete for the Pichichi title (the player with the most goals in all competitions currently playing in La Liga). Before that, when scoring against Salzburg, Vinicius recreated Cristiano Ronaldo's familiar celebration when CR7 reached the 100-goal mark for Los Blancos.
After the celebration, Vinicius went to hug his coach Carlo Ancelotti. The moment was made even more emotional when the Bernabeu loudspeakers chanted the Brazilian striker's name.
In 291 appearances for Real Madrid since 2018, Vinicius has scored 101 goals, including 58 in La Liga and 28 in the Champions League. In addition, he has won 14 official titles with Los Blancos, creating a glorious period. Holding the shirt with the number 100 printed on it with President Florentino Perez, the Brazilian star hopes to continue contributing for a long time.
After a disappointing start to the season, Vinicius and Real Madrid have found their feet again. They have reclaimed the top spot in La Liga from Barcelona and are preparing to smash all obstacles in the Champions League. With the formation of a superb attacking quartet of Vinicius, Mbappe, Rodrygo and Bellingham, Los Blancos are ready to conquer the European throne once again.
