Vinicius Junior insists Brazil duty is ‘completely different’ to playing for Real Madrid as he apologises to fans after damaging World Cup qualifying loss to Paraguay

The forward had little impact in the game as the Selecao went down 1-0 to Paraguay in Asuncion during the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. Despite starting alongside fellow Real Madrid team-mates Rodrygo and Endrick, Vinicius struggled to grow into the match and later admitted that turning up for Brazil is a completely different ball game from playing at his club.

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  WHAT VINICIUS SAID

  “It’s completely different [than playing for Real Madrid],” Vinicius told Sportv. “Games in Europe are different, the ball gets from one side [of the pitch] to the other faster… We have to know how to adapt so that everyone plays better so that we can win games.

  “We know the situation we’re in, we want to get Brazil out of this situation at any cost, we all have to go home now and start thinking about what we can do to get back to playing well. We cannot come here, lose these points and play the way we did. It is a difficult time, we must take on board all the criticism and return as quickly as possible to put Brazil on top.”

  • THE BIGGER PICTURE

    Vinicius acknowledged the immense pressure that comes with representing the national team and the frustration of not being able to deliver the desired results. He also vowed to make amends to his performance and “improve” so that he can do justice to his potential.

    “We apologise to the fans, who are always on our side,” he said.

    “But this is a difficult time, we just want to improve… I know my potential, I know what I can do for the national team. Of course, it’s been a very difficult process, because when you don’t have confidence, you don’t get goals, you don’t get assists and good performances. I know what I can improve. I know what I represent. When I’m better, I’ll give everyone else a lot of peace of mind. I know my responsibility, I want to improve as quickly as possible.”

  • DID YOU KNOW?

    With only 10 points from eight games, the Selecao find themselves fifth in the standings, behind Argentina, Colombia, Uruguay, and Ecuador. The top six nations in CONMEBOL will automatically qualify for the World Cup, while the seventh-placed team will enter an Inter-confederation playoff.

    • Getty Images Sport

      WHAT NEXT FOR VINICIUS?

      After a frustrating international break, Vinicius will return to Real Madrid and focus on helping them overcome Real Sociedad on Sunday. Meanwhile, just a month later, the forward will get an opportunity to redeem himself when he takes the field against Chile with Brazil in their next World Cup qualifier.