Real Madrid superstar left winger Vinicius Junior is already becoming a legend in world football, and his latest Champions League goal against Benfica set the record for most knockout goals ever scored by a Brazilian player in the Champions League, via Madrid Xtra.
The record for most Champions League knockout goals by a Brazilian footballer was previously held by Neymar, who dominated the competition in the 2010s and early 2020s with Barcelona and PSG, completing Remontadas, winning the treble with Barcelona, and even taking PSG to their first Champions League Final.
Vinicius Junior, though, is already surpassing him, and he’s only 25. The Real Madrid star’s goal against Benfica to win 2-1 in the 80th minute and seal advancement to the Round of 16 was his 14th career knockout stage goal; Neymar left PSG for Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia with 13 goals.
Not only that, but, of course, Vinicius Junior already has two Champions League titles to his name and was one of the key contributors in both the 2021/22 and 2023/24 triumphs for Los Blancos.
Neither Neymar nor Vinicius Jr. have won the Ballon d’Or, so that is the next milestone for Vini to hit. But for now, he is already blowing everyone’s minds and is so clutch in the big games, as evidenced by taking down an underrated, prestigious record by one of the great modern Brazilian players in Ney.
Joe Soriano is the editor of The Trivela Effect and a FanSided Hall of Famer who has covered world football since 2010. He’s led top digital communities like The Real Champs (Real Madrid) and has run sites covering Tottenham, Liverpool, Juventus, and Schalke. He also helped manage NFL Spin Zone and Daily DDT, covering the NFL and pro wrestling.