Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso will be glad that his predecessor took every precaution with star forward Vinicius Junior, after Carlo Ancelotti removed him from harm’s way during the South-American World Cup qualifiers. However it will be a concern that the Brazil lynchpin came off with an apparent injury just a week before the Club World Cup.
Vinicius was arguably the player that turned up most for Ancelotti at Real Madrid, and after a tough 0-0 draw away with Ecuador, the Selecao found themselves in another battle with Paraguay. Just before half-time though, Vinicius was quickest in the box to convert the first goal of the Ancelotti era in Brazil, and the eventual winner, securing their place at the 2026 World Cup.
🇧🇷 Gol de Brasil.
⚽ Vinícius Junior abrió el marcador para el local. Brasil 1 – Paraguay 0.#Unicanal #AlientoAlbirrojo pic.twitter.com/AhJC2rmLq6
— Unicanal (@Unicanal) June 11, 2025
Vinicius leaves pitch with injury late on
However there was a sour note in his night too. With 12 minutes to go, Vinicius was substituted by Ancelotti, after feeling a sharp pain in the back of his leg, as per Diario AS. It is of course too early to say how serious any injury is, but it will certainly be a concern for Alonso just a week before Los Blancos’ debut in the Club World Cup against Al-Hilal. Vinicius will miss Brazil’s next qualifier against Chile at home, due to an accumulation of yellow cards. One promising note is that Vinicius was smiling and relaxed after the game, noting it was time to celebrate their qualification more than anything else.
Vinicius set for starring role under Xabi Alonso
Although his team for the Club World Cup is not yet defined, Alonso has been planning for a future with Vinicius playing a starring role in his preferred starting XI alongside Kylian Mbappe up front. With a number of their squad recovering from injury, Alonso is already likely to be fielding an understrength first side against Al-Hilal, which a fully fit Vinicius would likely have been in. He does however have Rodrygo Goes, who did not travel with Brazil after he was left out by Ancelotti.
