Vinicius keeps making Real Madrid history

The ball fell after Kylian Mbappé’s failed control attempt, and Vinicius (25 years old) curled a shot with his right foot past Odysseas to score what would ultimately be the only goal of the game between Sevilla and Real Madrid. It was another goal for the Brazilian, lifting him to 13th place among the club’s all-time top scorers with 128 goals. With his strike at the Sánchez Pizjuán, he moved past Fernando Hierro, who scored 127 goals in 601 games.

In a difficult season for Madrid, the Brazilian has been carrying the team in this second part of the campaign. Since Álvaro Arbeloa took charge of the first team on January 12, the No. 7 has become one of Madrid’s leaders on the field: he has scored 16 goals in 26 games across all competitions, averaging 0.6 goals per game. “I think work is what takes you to the top. I’ve worked every year to reach these numbers.”

Those numbers put him in an elite Madrid club: he is the latest player to join the group of those who have scored 20 goals or more in five consecutive seasons or more. It is a pantheon of greats made up, in chronological order, of players such as Manuel Fernández Pahíño, Alfredo Di Stéfano, Ferenc Puskas, Hugo Sánchez, Raúl, Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and, since Sunday, Vinicius.

This season, the Brazilian already has 22 goals across all competitions, along with 11 assists, meaning he has been involved in 33 goals. He has matched the same goal tally he reached in the 2021-22 and 2024-25 campaigns. In both, he ended up being involved in 38 goals, with 22 goals and 16 assists. His best scoring return came in 2023-24, when he scored 24 goals and provided nine assists.

A hat-trick against Athletic on the final day would make this his highest-scoring season yet. Curiously, if he scored those three goals, he would draw level with Míchel, who has 131 goals and sits 12th in Madrid’s all-time scoring chart. The intrigue is there.

The Arbeloa Factor

Álvaro Arbeloa’s arrival in January was key for the Brazilian. After scoring just six goals in 27 games with Xabi Alonso on the bench, he has scored 16 in 26 under the coach from Salamanca. He has gone from scoring once every 328 minutes to once every 139. The difference is clear. That is why the Brazilian has become Arbeloa’s great ally since he arrived on the Real Madrid bench. He gave Vini his prominence back, and Vini has responded fully. His commitment has been total. Apart from Mestalla, where he was suspended, he has played in every game of the Arbeloa era: he has started 24 of the 26 games, only resting against Mallorca, when he came on in the second half, and has completed 21 of them.

Arbeloa himself has always defended him: “Vini is a born leader, the teammate everyone wants. We’re lucky to have him because of his commitment. He carried the team when he was still a kid. He is a great Madridista, he really feels the badge. What he did as a boy, not many have done in Real Madrid’s history. He has given us two Champions Leagues, and no one should forget that.” Meanwhile, Vinicius keeps making history.

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