Vinícius Júnior Hits 100 Goals as Real Madrid Progress in Champions League
- Vinícius Júnior scored his 100th goal for Real Madrid, becoming the 23rd player in the club's history to accomplish the feat
- Scoring twice against Salzburg, Vinicius reached a milestone for the Spanish giants, having made 291 appearances since joining the Galacticos
- Vinícius has now set his sights on Ronaldo Nazario's record at Real Madrid, who registered 104 goals for Los Blancos
Vinícius Júnior celebrated a milestone in Real Madrid’s 5-1 victory over Salzburg on Wednesday, reaching 100 goals for the club and securing their spot in the Champions League playoffs.
The Brazilian forward scored twice, bringing his Champions League tally to 28 goals, placing him third among Brazilian scorers in the competition.
Neymar leads with 43 goals, followed by Kaká with 30.
Source: Getty Images
The win was crucial for Real Madrid, the defending champions, who struggled early in the tournament with three losses in their first six matches.
The result moved the 15-time European champions to 16th place in the 36-team league phase, narrowly avoiding elimination, per the BBC.
Rodrygo was another standout performer, netting twice to bring his recent tally to five goals in four games.
Kylian Mbappé also contributed with a goal, capitalising on a mistake by Salzburg goalkeeper Janis Blaswich.
Vinícius, meanwhile, has scored three times in his last two outings.
Jude Bellingham played a key role, assisting one of Vinícius’ goals with an elegant back-heel flick.
Vinícius sets sights on Ronaldo's record at Real Madrid
Vinícius Júnior has reached 101 goals for Real Madrid across all competitions, putting him within touching distance of Brazil legend Ronaldo's tally of 104 goals for the club. Ronaldo achieved his feat during a five-year stint at Madrid between 2002 and 2007.
"I'm happy to score goals in this shirt," Vinícius told Movistar via ESPN after the game against Salzburg. "I'm just three goals away from Ronaldo, from becoming the Brazilian with the most goals in this shirt. Let's hope I can score more."
Vinícius has already enjoyed remarkable success with Madrid, winning two Champions League titles—scoring in both finals—as well as three LaLiga trophies.
Despite his achievements, the forward expressed surprise at being named MVP in the victory over Salzburg.
"I felt like I didn’t play well in the first half," he admitted. "Rodrygo deserved it, Jude [Bellingham] too, and many others. But I’m happy with the win and the goals, even when I played badly."
With his current form, it seems only a matter of time before Vinícius surpasses Ronaldo's record and solidifies his place among Real Madrid’s all-time great Brazilians.
Real Madrid’s next challenge will be a visit to French side Brest as they aim to build on their momentum in the competition.
Vinicius eyes Ballon d'Or success
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that Vinicius has set his sights on winning the Ballon d’Or after clinching the 2024 FIFA The Best Men's Player of the Year Award.
The Real Madrid winger narrowly lost the prestigious accolade to Manchester City’s Rodri in October 2024.
Despite the setback, Vinicius remains hopeful about securing the honour in the future as he continues to build his legacy in Spain.
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Source: AFP
