More than 64,000 fans filled Lincoln Financial Field on a rainy night in Philadelphia, and they were rewarded: In the final matchday of the group stage at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™, they witnessed Vinicius Junior at his brilliant best.
First, he went on a trademark blistering run following a sublime through-ball from Jude Bellingham. As he approached the box, he slowed for a moment, before changing direction in a flash to completely wrong-foot his markers, and neatly slotted the ball into the corner with his left foot.
Minutes later, Vini was at it again. Cutting in at full speed, it looked as if he was drifting away from goal, but he had something else in mind. Suddenly dragging the ball back, he teed up Federico Valverde to smash home and double the lead. He later told Real Madrid TV that it might have been his finest assist yet for the club.
One privileged – and highly significant – spectator was especially pleased with the Brazilian Ace’s display, taking it all in alongside the roaring sea of Madridistas.
“I’m very happy because Vini, like any forward, needed that goal,” Xabi Alonso told FIFA. “Aside from the goals, I was also really happy with the work he put in. He helped to defend, he made sacrifices, he stayed connected with the team, didn’t switch off, and that’s very important to me.”
Overall, Alonso saw a more cohesive Real Madrid on the pitch, with clear signs of progress compared to their earlier performances in the tournament.
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“Especially in the first half, we controlled the game well,” he added. “We were solid and we knew how to be patient. We played with maturity, just waiting for the right moment to attack. We had other good chances that we could have taken earlier.”
Vinicius was pleased with his evening’s work, and believes Real are only just getting started under the FIFA World Cup™ winner.
“We’ve got a new coach, so little by little, we are adapting to the style of play he wants,” he said following the match. “He is sharing his vision with us, and we are slowly gaining more confidence to play through the middle. He asked me to do that, and we managed to play a bit better.”
It has not been easy for the Salzburg defence to deal with the Real Madrid star in 2025. Back in January, he scored twice against the Austrian outfit in a UEFA Champions League rout. Jacobo Ramon, a 20-year-old central defender at Los Blancos, knows the feeling well. While he plays with the reserves, he is often tasked with tracking Vinicius during regular training sessions.
“Of course Vinicius is one of the best in the world, and for me, he proves that every day,” the youngster told FIFA. “He’s unbelievable! It is terrible to have him as a team-mate in training because marking him is almost impossible. But in a match, having him on our side is incredible because he can single-handedly change a game.”
Now, Real turn their focus to the Round of 16, where they’ll face Juventus FC. Their second round adventure starts in Miami on Tuesday, 1 July, where the pressure cooker of knockout football tends to bring Los Blancos to life.
“We love these kinds of games”, Vinicius told CazéTV. “If you lose, you go home. If you win, you progress in the tournament. This is first edition of the FIFA tournament in this format, and no one forgets the first. So, we are going all out to win it and to bring that trophy back to Madrid.”
