Brazil fans call for Neymar after Vinícius Jr. struggles in No. 10 debut

Vinícius Júnior has inherited Brazil’s iconic No. 10 jersey, and for now, it appears to be his to keep, unless Neymar returns in time for the 2026 World Cup.

A recent injury to Rodrygo opened the door for Vinícius to take over the legendary number. But in his first outing wearing it, the Real Madrid forward looked a long way from his club form and couldn’t prevent Brazil from falling to France.

Vini’s disconnected role in attack

Vinícius started the game as a central forward alongside Matheus Cunha, with Gabriel Martinelli operating out wide.

The change freed him from defensive duties on the flank, but it also left him isolated. He struggled to get on the ball in dangerous situations, rarely receiving passes in stride or with space to attack.

Head coach Carlo Ancelotti explained the tactical tweaks after the match:

“Vinícius doesn’t play strictly on the left. He operates in a left-central role, with Martinelli wide at first. After the hydration break, I switched them, pushing Martinelli more to the right because France was applying heavy pressure. We needed more defensive control on that side.”

Missed chances and limited impact

With Brazil trailing in the second half, Vinícius saw more of the ball after drifting closer to his natural position on the left wing.

He had opportunities to take on defenders but couldn’t make them count. When cutting inside, his finishing let him down. When staying wide, he failed to create real danger.

He completed just two of six dribbles and missed the target with both of his shots. His best chance came in the final moments, when he barely made contact with the ball in front of goal with a clear opportunity to equalize.

Fans call for Neymar after France’s second goal

After Hugo Ekitiké made it 2-0, even with Brazil briefly holding a man advantage, Brazilian fans in the stands began chanting for Neymar, who wore the No. 10 at the last three World Cups.

Vinícius had already addressed the situation before the game:

“In recent seasons, I’ve been one of the best. Raphinha too. And Casemiro, we don’t even need to talk about him, he has so much experience. The pressure on Ney is normal. I’m biased, he’s one of my idols. He’s doing everything possible to be at 100% and return to the national team.”

Ancelotti stands by his star

Despite the criticism, Ancelotti defended his forward’s display:

“Vini is always dangerous. He may not have scored, but a forward can always do that at any moment. The work from both him and Raphinha was good.”

Club form vs. international struggles

Vinícius arrived at this international break in red-hot form, scoring four goals in his last two games for Real Madrid against Manchester City and Atlético Madrid.

But he left Foxborough empty-handed.

In 48 appearances for Brazil, he has eight goals and seven assists. By comparison, he already has five goals and seven assists in this season’s UEFA Champions League alone, highlighting the gap between his club dominance and international output.

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