For the second time, Vinicius Junior buried a counterattacking goal into the far corner of the net against Benfica in this Champions League tie, shutting down the racists and surpassing Bayern Munich’s legendary right winger Arjen Robben in one fell swoop.
Robben is one of the best wingers of the last 25 years and was a monster in big games in the Champions League, but even he can’t top Vinicius Jr., who is already surpassing his legacy in the Champions League well before turning 30.
A two-time winner of the Champions League, Vinicius’s goal in the second leg against Benfica to seal the tie for the Merengues at the Santiago Bernabeu is his 32nd Champions League goal of his young career, surpassing Robben’s mark of 31.
Vinicius Junior is now ranked 27th in history for most Champions League goals, and he isn’t slowing down any time soon. Next on the list is a Real Madrid icon in striker Fernando Morientes in 26th with 33 goals, another Bayern Munich legend in Gerd Muller at 34, Edinson Cavani with 35, and then one more Real Madrid legend in 23rd with 36 career Champions League goals in THE Ferenc Puskas.
Yes, Vinicius Jr. is already in hallowed ground as a still young Real Madrid superstar, and he’ll be ready to add more goals in the Champions League Round of 16, especially if Real need him even more with Kylian Mbappe nursing a knee issue.
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.