Vini Jr. Enters Elite Circle of Brazil’s Football Icons

Vinicius Júnior has made his mark on football history by netting Brazil's opening goal at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, joining the ranks of legendary players like Zagallo, Pelé, Romário, and Ronaldo, who have previously achieved this feat.

This milestone places Vini Jr. among the select few who have scored the first goal for Brazil in World Cup tournaments, a prestigious list that features only two repeat names: Leônidas da Silva, known as the Black Diamond, and Sócrates. With this latest achievement, Vini Jr. has now been involved in 14 goals for the national team during the current competitive cycle, making him the record holder. He celebrated his 10th goal in just 50 appearances for Brazil.

To illustrate the significance of this achievement, here’s a look at who has scored Brazil's first goal in each World Cup edition:

🇺🇾 Uruguay-1930: Preguinho, 15th minute of the 2nd half (Yugoslavia 2 x 1 Brazil)
🇮🇹 Italy-1934: Leônidas da Silva, 10th minute of the 2nd half (Spain 3 x 1 Brazil)
🇫🇷 France-1938: Leônidas da Silva, 18th minute of the 1st half (Brazil 6 x 5 Poland)
🇧🇷 Brazil-1950: Ademir de Menezes, 30th minute of the 1st half (Brazil 4 x 0 Mexico)
🇨🇭 Switzerland-1954: Baltazar, 23rd minute of the 1st half (Brazil 5 x 0 Mexico)
🇸🇪 Sweden-1958: Mazzola, 37th minute of the 1st half (Brazil 3 x 0 Austria)
🇨🇱 Chile-1962: Zagallo, 11th minute of the 2nd half (Brazil 2 x 0 Mexico)
🏴 England-1966: Pelé, 15th minute of the 1st half (Brazil 2 x 0 Bulgaria)
🇲🇽 Mexico-1970: Rivellino, 24th minute of the 1st half (Brazil 4 x 1 Czechoslovakia)
🇩🇪 West Germany-1974: Jairzinho, 12th minute of the 1st half (Zaire 0 x 3 Brazil)
🇦🇷 Argentina-1978: Reinaldo, 45th minute of the 1st half (Brazil 1 x 1 Sweden)
🇪🇸 Spain-1982: Sócrates, 30th minute of the 2nd half (Brazil 2 x 1 Soviet Union)
🇲🇽 Mexico-1986: Sócrates, 17th minute of the 2nd half (Spain 0 x 1 Brazil)
🇮🇹 Italy-1990: Careca, 40th minute of the 1st half (Brazil 2 x 1 Sweden)
🇺🇸 USA-1994: Romário, 26th minute of the 1st half (Brazil 2 x 0 Russia)
🇫🇷 France-1998: César Sampaio, 5th minute of the 1st half (Brazil 2 x 1 Scotland)
🇰🇷 🇯🇵 South Korea and Japan-2002: Ronaldo, 5th minute of the 2nd half (Brazil 2 x 1 Turkey)
🇩🇪 Germany-2006: Kaká, 44th minute of the 1st half (Brazil 1 x 0 Croatia)
🇿🇦 South Africa-2010: Maicon, 10th minute of the 2nd half (Brazil 2 x 1 North Korea)
🇧🇷 Brazil-2014: Neymar, 29th minute of the 1st half (Brazil 3 x 1 Croatia)
🇷🇺 Russia-2018: Philippe Coutinho, 20th minute of the 1st half (Brazil 1 x 1 Switzerland)
🇶🇦 Qatar-2022: Richarlison, 17th minute of the 2nd half (Brazil 2 x 0 Serbia)

This record underscores the ongoing legacy of Brazil in international football and highlights the emergence of Vini Jr. as a key player in the national team’s future.