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Vinicius Jr spoke about his admiration for Cristiano Ronaldo after helping Real Madrid to a 3-2 win over Manchester City in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League Round-of-32 clash on Tuesday (February 11). He referred to the Portuguese icon as his idol and hoped to lead Los Blancos to many titles like the Al-Nassr star.
Vinicius Jr had an outstanding performance against Manchester City. He was involved in Brahim Diaz's 86th-minute equalizer before assisting Jude Bellingham's winner (90+2'). The 24-year-old also created the most chances in the game (five) and won four duels, as Madrid secured a comeback victory at the Etihad.
In addition, the Brazilian winger recorded a pass accuracy of 75% (18/24) and completed 50% of his attempted dribbles (3/6), as per FotMob. For his contributions to his team's victory, Vinicius Jr was named the Player of the Match.
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The 24-year-old spoke about Real Madrid legend Cristiano Ronaldo after the clash, revealing that he had a good relationship with the five-time Ballon d'Or winner. He also spoke about his desire to lead the club to title wins like Ronaldo did between 2009 and 2018.
“Cristiano Ronaldo is my idol. I talk a lot to him. Hopefully I can win as much titles as he did at Real Madrid," Vinicius said (via Madrid Xtra's X handle).
Cristiano Ronaldo is Real Madrid's record goalscorer with 450 goals and 131 assists in 438 matches. He won 16 trophies in nine seasons at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Vinicius Jr, meanwhile, has won 14 trophies with Madrid since 2018. In 295 appearances for the club, he has recorded 101 goals and 84 assists.
"If Cristiano Ronaldo said I'm the best, then I am" - When Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr responded to the Portuguese icon's claim about him
In December 2024, Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr concurred with Ronaldo's claim that he deserved the 2024 Ballon d'Or award. The Brazil international lost the prestigious accolade to Manchester City's Rodri.
Speaking at the 2024 Globe Soccer Awards, Ronaldo opined that Vinicius deserved the award ahead of Rodri as he was the best player during the 2023-24 campaign. Responding to Ronaldo's claim, Vinicius said (as quoted by Madrid Xtra's X handle):
"Cristiano Ronaldo’s words about the Ballon d’Or? If Cristiano said I’m the best, then I am."
Vinicius went on to win the Best Men's Player at the FIFA The Best Award and the Globe Soccer Best Men's Player award for 2024.
