Vinicius Junior says World Cup exit still affecting Brazil form

Vinicius Junior says Brazil’s early World Cup elimination continues to affect him and has contributed to his recent decline at international level.

The Real Madrid forward made the admission after scoring in Brazil’s 4-2 friendly win over Australia, ending a prolonged goal drought for his country. The result provided a positive conclusion to Brazil’s tour of Australia and gave Vinicius an important boost before their next match against India.

“The impact of the World Cup is always huge, and coming back is always a little difficult,” Vinicius said after the game.

Brazil were knocked out of the previous World Cup in the last 16 by Norway, bringing an early end to a tournament in which Vinicius had been one of the team’s leading players. He started all five of Brazil’s matches, scoring four goals and providing one assist.

“We played extremely badly in the first match,” Vinicius added. “As the coach said, we are in an experimental period, but we know we are expected to win every match we play for Brazil.”

The forward said the victory over Australia showed progress but acknowledged that further work was required.

“Today, on a perfect pitch, we managed to play a great match,” he said. “But there are many things we need to adjust, reduce the number of goals we concede and create more chances.”

Vinicius also spoke openly about the need to rebuild his confidence after several games without scoring for Brazil.

“I played several matches without scoring any goals for the national team, and I felt how important it was to get back on the scoresheet,” he said. “There have been some matches we did not win, but it is important to score again, and it is important to play for our national team once more.”

Penalty provides confidence boost

A notable moment came when Vinicius stepped up to take Brazil’s second penalty against Australia. Bruno Guimaraes is usually the designated taker when Raphinha is unavailable, but Vinicius was allowed to take responsibility this time.

“Bruno usually takes the penalties when Raphinha is not playing,” Vinicius explained. “I thought he wanted to take it, but he knows that I need some confidence.”

The penalty gave Vinicius the goal he had been seeking and was followed by public support from Brazil manager Carlo Ancelotti. The Italian urged the forward to remain patient as he works towards returning to his best form.

Vinicius said the World Cup defeat remained difficult to accept, telling Real Madrid Fans in comments shared on 29 September 2026: “My team-mates know that right now I need a little confidence. The blow of losing the World Cup is always very big, and the return is always difficult.”

Brazil will now turn their attention to India, with Vinicius hoping his first goal for the national side in a long period marks the start of a sustained return to confidence.