Vinicius responds to critics claiming he didn’t want to take penalty against Norway 

Brazil are fresh off of their round of 16 loss to Norway, and there will be a lot of questions to answer once they return home. Vinicius didn’t have to wait until he got home to have to face some of those burning questions.

Brazil knocked out by Norway

Erling Haaland broke Brazilian hearts with two second half goals to lead his Norway side into the quarterfinals of the World Cup. Meanwhile Brazil suffered their earliest exit from the World Cup since 1990 when they were knocked out in the round of 16 by Argentina.

Brazil had their chances against the Norwegians, and one of those chances came in the first quarter of an hour when Matheus Cunha was taken down in the box and Brazil was awarded a penalty. It wasn’t Vinicius who took the penalty. Instead it was Bruno Guimaraes, and he had his effort saved by the Norway keeper.

Vinicius was asked about the penalty, and the decision to have Guimaraes take the penalty instead of the Real Madrid star, and the top scorer on Carlo Ancelotti’s side. “The manager decides beforehand who is going to take the kick. He chose Bruno. I’ve never been a vain player, nor have I sought to be the top scorer. He thought Bruno took them better than I did, so he chose him. I’ve never shied away from responsibility.”

Vini didn’t duck penalty

Vinicius had scored four goals in his World Cup campaign, and looked like the one who was pulling the strings in the attack, but he assured reporters after the match that he wasn’t ducking the pressure. “A lot of people will say I didn’t want to take the penalty, but I have never shirked responsibility. I take penalties for Real Madrid when the coach chooses me. We need to prepare better for the next World Cup and the upcoming matches,” said Vinicius.

Ancelotti verified Vinicius’s statement saying that there is a lot of research that goes into choosing who would take the penalties for this Brazil side this World Cup. “We compiled statistics covering a year for both our players and our opponents. The best penalty taker is Neymar, followed by Igor Thiago, then Raphinha, then Bruno Guimarães, and finally Martinelli. We chose Bruno because we felt he was the best penalty taker on the pitch,” claimed Ancelotti.

Vinicius backed his coach and the decision after the match. “There was no debate. The manager chose Bruno, and we train for these situations every day. It was the right call for him to take it. Unfortunately, he missed. That’s football. You have to keep your head held high. I’m fully behind Bruno because of the World Cup he played. It’s a shame he’ll be defined by that penalty,” concluded Vinicius.

Related stories

World Cup

Ancelotti after loss "start of new cycle"

World Cup 2026

Haaland: "Well, well, well"

Get closer to the game! Whether you like your soccer of the European variety or that on this side of the pond, our AS USA app has it all. Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more. Plus, stay updated on NFL, NBA and all other big sports stories as well as the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.

And there’s more: check out our TikTok and Instagram reels for bite-sized visual takes on all the biggest soccer news and insights.