Vinícius Jr. considers Cristiano Ronaldo a footballing idol
By Parshva Shah
Real Madrid superstar Vinícius Jr., who is the second-highest goalscorer of the team behind Karim Benzema, has been in the spotlight for his exploits this season. He has shared the goalscoring burden of the team in unison with Karim Benzema, and looks on course to finish with at least 20 goals in all competitions.
That’s an incredible leap for someone who scored a total of only 15 goals since he arrived in Madrid in 2018. The Brazilian is a force to be reckoned with on the left wing, much like a Real Madrid legend who dominated the left wing for Los Merengues for nine long years. Yes, I am talking about Cristiano Ronaldo.
In a long, exclusive interview with Spanish magazine Madridista Real, Vinícius Jr. was asked to describe some of the legends of the game – both from the past and those who are still playing – in a few words. Those included players like Neymar, Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo Nazário, Luka Modrić, and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Talking about the former Real Madrid #7, here is what Vinícius Jr. said:
"“Goals, goals, goals. I had his posters on my wall when I was little. An idol for me.”"
Idolizing Cristiano Ronaldo can help Vinícius Jr. craft a lasting Real Madrid legacy
This is not surprising coming from the 21-year old. A player such as Cristiano Ronaldo, who is considered to be the greatest player of all time, has inspired countless footballers. Right from Marcus Rashford, to Jadon Sancho, to Kylian Mbappé, a lot of young players of this generation have looked up to the Portuguese legend as their legend.
Vinícius Jr., much like Cristiano Ronaldo, plays at the left wing for Real Madrid, tormenting and bullying opposition defenders and having dozens of goal contributions. We have also seen Viní having the ability to bounce back in the face of adversity. He received a lot of criticism in the previous seasons for his lack of offensive output.
He seems to be following CR7’s footsteps in the sense that he is showing signs of being a mentality monster. Even though the effervescent Samba boy is enjoying a fruitful season so far, he will encounter difficult phases at the Santiago Bernabéu. He will have to deal with pressure as the Bernabéu faithful forget everything that you’ve done for them very easily if you don’t perform well, something Cristiano Ronaldo himself experienced.
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Real Madrid’s #20 will be keen to emulate the Manchester United forward as he wants to etch his own legacy within the royal history of Real Madrid. And he couldn’t have idolized anyone better to drive him and inspire him as he begins his transition to one of the senior members of the squad.