Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr. has expressed his admiration for Cristiano Ronaldo, revealing the Portuguese legend as his idol.
Vinicius shared his thoughts after playing a pivotal role in Real Madrid’s 3-2 victory over Manchester City in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League Round-of-32 clash on Tuesday. City will host the second leg next week.
The Brazilian winger has always looked up to Ronaldo and hopes to achieve similar success in his career.
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Vinicius delivered an impressive performance against City, contributing to the team’s win. His motivation came from a banner displayed by Manchester City fans mocking him over the 2024 Ballon d’Or controversy. Vinicius played a role in Brahim Diaz’s goal in the 86th minute and provided an assist for Jude Bellingham’s winner in the 90+2′ minute. His exceptional display earned him the Player of the Match award from UEFA.
After the game, the 24-year-old Brazilian reflected on his admiration for Ronaldo, a legend of both Real Madrid and the Champions League. He spoke about their good relationship and his aspirations to emulate Ronaldo’s success at the club.
“Cristiano Ronaldo is my idol. I talk a lot to him. Hopefully, I can win as many titles as he did at Real Madrid,” Vinicius said (via Madrid Xtra’s X handle).
Ronaldo, who currently plays for Al Nassr in the Saudi Pro League, is Real Madrid’s all-time top scorer with 450 goals and 131 assists in 438 appearances. Over his nine seasons at the Santiago Bernabeu, he won 16 trophies.
Vinicius Jr. has already claimed 14 trophies with Real Madrid since joining in 2018. He has scored 101 goals and contributed 84 assists in 295 appearances for the club.
