Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr has spoken of his “love” for new team-mate Kylian Mbappe’s style and belief that the France captain can score as many goals for the club as he did for former side Paris St-Germain.
PSG’s 256-goal all-time top scorer joined Madrid in July following the expiry of his contract with the reigning Ligue 1 champions, scoring on his debut in a 2-0 Uefa Super Cup win over Atalanta earlier this month.
“With the arrival of Mbappe, everyone says the team can become unstoppable,” Vinicius Jr told CNN. “But for now, we have to perform the best training sessions and try to understand each other as quickly as possible.”
“I love how he plays and the truth is that I’m very excited about what we can do during the season. He’s coming in after having scored so many goals, after winning so many titles.
“He’s arriving at the club he always dreamed to be at and where every player always dreamed to play. God willing, Mbappe will be able to score as many goals for us as he did in his previous team, as he does in the national team, and he can do even more with us.”
💬 @KMbappe: “Playing in this stadium is a dream come true.”#RealMadridRealValladolid pic.twitter.com/qhM3Ovh7c9
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) August 25, 2024
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Vinicius Jr: Brazil’s Marta ‘pioneer’
The favourite for the 2024 Ballon d’Or, Vinicius Jr contributed 24 goals and 11 assists last season and says Madrid are targeting the treble of La Liga, the Uefa Champions League and the Copa del Rey in 2024-25.
The 24-year-old spent time with two-time Ballon d’Or-winning Brazil legend Ronaldo this summer and also looks up to compatriot Marta, an icon of the national team who he calls “the greatest ever” to play women’s football.
“I have to talk about Marta… I have great affection for her because I believe she changed the sport and put women’s football on the level it deserves,” he said.
“Women’s football is growing day by day and Marta was one of the pioneers. Marta is for us what Pele was for everyone in Brazil. Like Ayrton Senna, she’s from a level where there is one person in every million.
“And as for the men’s players, I have Kaka as an example, I have Ronaldo who won the award twice, I have Ronaldinho, Rivaldo, a lot of Brazilian players who have won the Ballon d’Or.”
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Ballon d’Or ‘incredible’
“Without a doubt, Ronaldo and Ronaldinho are the ones I’m closest with, who tell me every day that I have to win the Ballon d’Or,” added Vinicius Jr.
“I was with Ronaldo just now when I was in Ibiza and trained at his house. He told me: ‘Train here a few more days, so you are closer to the Ballon d’Or.’
“They are players who did incredible things and to be able to compete for the Ballon d’Or and to win an award that they won, that would be something really incredible.”
