“My other teammates deserved it” - Vinicius Jr picks out 2 Real Madrid stars who were eligible to win Man Of the Match instead of him after 5-1 win

Vinicius Junior was full of praise for his Real Madrid teammates Jude Bellingham and Rodrygo Goes after their 5-1 victory over RB Salzburg on Wednesday (January 22) in the Champions League. Los Blancos secured a comfortable win over their Austrian counterparts at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Rodrygo opened the scoring for the home side in the 23rd minute and doubled the score in the 34th minute. Bellingham set up both goals.

Kylian Mbappe put Real Madrid 3-0 ahead three minutes into the second half. Vinicius joined the act, finding the back of the net in the 55th and 77th minute to put the game to bed.

Speaking after receiving the Player of the Match award, the Brazilian insisted that Bellingham and Rodrygo were also deserving candidates.

“Thank you for the MOTM award but also my other teammates deserved it like Jude, Rodry,” Vinicius said (via Madrid Xtra's official X handle).

The Brazilian has been indispensable for Real Madrid in recent seasons. He registered 25 goals and 12 assists from 40 games across competitions last campaign, helping Los Blancos win the league, the Champions League, and the Supercopa de Espana.

He narrowly missed out on the 2024 Ballon d'Or but won FIFA's The Best Men's Player of the Year Award in December. The player has been equally decisive for the LaLiga champions this season, registering 16 goals and 10 assists from 26 games across competitions.

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When does Vinicius Junior's contract with Real Madrid expire?

Carlo Ancelotti

Vinicius Junior is under contract with Real Madrid until 2027. The player arrived at the club in 2018 and is now a key figure under Carlo Ancelotti.

The arrival of Kylian Mbappe last summer initially raised questions about the Brazilian's future, but he has held his own at the Santiago Bernabeu so far. However, Vinicius is a long-term target for clubs from the Middle East and recent reports have suggested Los Blancos' resolve could be tested soon.

According to journalist Ben Jacobs, Al-Ahli are preparing a €350m offer for the player, which, if accepted, will smash the world record (Neymar's $222m transfer from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain in 2017). This is a strategic move from Saudi Pro League, who already boast of Cristiano Ronaldo (Al-Nassr), Neymar (Al-Hilal), and Karim Benzema (Al-Ittihad).

Meanwhile, Real Madrid are building a Galactico squad themselves and would hate to see one of their stars leave. The Brazilian has a €1bn release clause in his contract, but Saudi Arabia are hoping to get a deal done for less.