Vinicius Jr declared his commitment to team success over personal glory as Brazil prepared for their opening 2026 World Cup match against Morocco. Speaking at a press conference on June 9, the Real Madrid forward said, "I don't care about individual titles, I’m not here to be the MVP; I’m here to help Brazil win a sixth World Cup title" [1, 2].
Brazil last won the World Cup 24 years ago and have exited at the quarter-final stage in the last two tournaments. Vinicius credited the painful penalty shootout loss to Croatia in the 2022 World Cup for motivating Brazil to improve, saying, "The World Cup is different from any other tournament I've played, and the last one taught me that we have to be prepared right up until the final minute of the match. We have to do things differently – lessons learnt" [1, 2].
The 24-year-old described the World Cup as the "most important and special moment" of his career and highlighted his good physical condition after avoiding injury this season [1, 2]. He praised Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti, his manager at Real Madrid, for providing him with the freedom to express his best on the field. "Playing for Ancelotti is special because he gives me the freedom to do what I do best. I'm not talking about only scoring goals, but playing well. It doesn't matter how many goals I score; what matters is the team," Vinicius said [1].
Ancelotti, who guided Vinicius to two Champions League titles in 2022 and 2024, emphasizes concentration throughout matches. Vinicius recalled the coach’s advice: "We have to play the full 90 minutes with the utmost concentration because, in a World Cup, small details can make all the difference" [1].
Vinicius also emphasized Brazil’s early preparation, stating, "The World Cup isn't starting tomorrow; for us, it began several days ago because we’re so focused on our game, our development and our preparation to hit the ground running at the World Cup" [1].
Brazil aims to win their sixth World Cup title, building on their five historic championships, as they enter the 2026 tournament. Their opening match against Morocco is scheduled for Sunday.