'I Always Knew What Vini Could Do': Ancelotti Hails Vinicius Junior After Scotland Masterclass

Brazil's head coach, Carlo Ancelotti, was awestruck by the phenomenal masterclass dropped by Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior. Building on his form from the previous game, the Brazilian forward was in sublime form against a gritty Scottish side to hit a brace, thereby becoming one of the very few Brazilian players to have scored in all the games of the group stages.

Carlo Ancelotti praised Vinicius Junior's commitment to Brazil after the forward continued his fine form at the FIFA World Cup 2026. "For him, representing Brazil is a huge honour," Ancelotti said. "He is playing very well and even scored with a header, which is something we don't see often from him."

Having coached Vinicius for four seasons at Real Madrid, Ancelotti said he was never surprised by the attacker's impact. "I always knew what Vinicius was capable of. He is one of the best players in the world," the Brazil coach added.

Vinicius has been one of Brazil's standout performers in the tournament so far. After scoring in the opening 1-1 draw against Morocco, he followed it up with another goal in the 3-0 win over Haiti and found the net again against Scotland. The 25-year-old is now level with Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland in the Golden Boot race, with all three players sitting just one goal behind Lionel Messi.

His latest strike also placed him in elite company. Vinicius became the first Brazilian player since Ronaldo and Rivaldo in 2002 to score in all three group-stage matches of a World Cup. Before them, only Jairzinho in 1970 and Romario in 1994 had achieved the feat. Notably, Brazil went on to win the World Cup on each of those occasions.

Despite the growing attention around his numbers, Vinicius insists his focus remains on helping the team.

"I've never been someone who focuses too much on statistics," he told Brazilian broadcaster CazeTV. "Scoring this many goals is not something I'm used to, but the coach has given me a role that suits me well. I'm adapting, scoring goals, and contributing to the team."

The former Ballon d'Or runner-up enjoyed another productive season with Real Madrid, scoring 22 goals in 53 appearances across all competitions. "Hopefully I can keep this form going all the way to the final," Vinicius said. "I'm delighted with the way the team is performing. When everyone is playing well, opportunities naturally come in attack, and we can create chances to score."

Neymar Returns After 981 Days

Brazil also received a major boost with Neymar making his first international appearance since October 2023. The veteran forward came off the bench to replace Matheus Cunha, who had scored Brazil's second goal against Scotland. Ancelotti was pleased to see Neymar back in action.

"He deserved those minutes," the coach said. "He has worked extremely hard to regain his fitness and approached the recovery process with complete professionalism." The Italian believes Neymar still has an important role to play for Brazil during the tournament.

"He has the quality to help this team, and he looked sharp in the time he was on the pitch," Ancelotti added. "He doesn't need any extra motivation to play for Brazil, and neither do the other players. Even at 34, he still has the same passion for football that he had as a child."

Brazil Eye Knockout Success

Brazil will now travel to Houston for their Round of 32 clash against the runners-up from Group F, with the Netherlands, Japan, and Sweden all still in contention.

Ancelotti believes his side is steadily improving with each game. "Compared to our opening match, we are making fewer mistakes, playing with greater intensity and showing more efficiency in front of goal," he said.

"The last two matches after Morocco have been very encouraging. Our objective was to finish top of the group, and we've achieved that. Now it's about continuing to work hard and improving further."

The coach highlighted Brazil's growing cohesion as a major positive. "We are now playing as a true team, and that was one of our biggest objectives. We're not perfect and there are still areas where we can improve, but I am very happy with the progress we've made."

"Most importantly, we have become a solid team. That solidity will be crucial as we move into the knockout rounds."