Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr sends birthday messages to Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar via Instagram

Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr took to Instagram to congratulate Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar, who turned a year older on Wednesday (February 5). The Portuguese legend clocked 40 while the Brazilian superstar turned 33.

Taking to his Instagram story, Vinicius Jr posted pictures of himself alongside Ronaldo and Neymar, writing birthday messages to the duo. For Ronaldo, he wrote:

"Tudo de melhor, @cristiano 7️⃣," which translates to: "All the best, @cristiano 7️⃣"

Screenshot of Vinicius Jr.'s birthday post to Ronaldo (Image: Instagram/@vinijr)

The Los Blancos star wished fellow Brazil teammate Neymar, writing:

"Feliz aniversário, meu irmão! Tudo de melhor! Aproveite muito! @neymarjr," which translates to: "Happy birthday, my brother! All the very best! Enjoy a lot !@neymarjr."

Screenshot of Vinicius Jr.'s birthday post to Neymar (Image: Instagram/@vinijr)

Cristiano Ronaldo was born on February 5, 1985, in Madeira, Portugal. He began his senior career at Sporting CP before moving to Manchester United in 2003. After six years at Old Trafford, Ronaldo joined Real Madrid where he further blossomed into one of the best players in the world.

He won 16 major titles with the Spanish giants, including four Champions League titles and two LaLiga crowns. The Portuguese icon scored 450 goals and provided 131 assists in 438 appearances for Los Blancos, becoming their record goalscorer.

Neymar, on the other hand, was born on February 5, 1992, in Mogi das Cruzes, Brazil. He started off playing for Santos before moving to Europe to play for Real Madrid's rivals, Barcelona, in 2013. The Brazilian also represented Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Al-Hilal before recently returning to his boyhood club, Santos.

"Vini Jr deserved to win the Ballon d’Or but I'm not surprised" - Cristiano Ronaldo on Vinicius Jr 2024 Ballon d'Or snub

Cristiano Ronaldo has opined that Real Madrid winger Vinicius Jr deserved to win the 2024 Ballon d'Or award over Manchester City's Rodri. The 40-year-old first shared his thoughts publicly during the 2024 Globe Soccer Award, saying (via ESPN):

"In my opinion, he [Vinícius] deserved to win the golden ball [Ballon d'Or award]. It was unfair in my opinion. I say here in front of everybody. They give it to Rodri, he deserved it too, but they should have given it to Vinícius because he won the Champions League and scored in the final."

During a recent interview, Ronaldo repeated his sentiments about the 2024 Ballon d'Or, claiming that the award lacked credibility.

"Vini Jr deserved to win the Ballon d’Or but I'm not surprised… not only because I didn't win it or not, but because it lacks credibility. He won the Champions League and scored goals," Ronaldo said (as per journalist Fabrizio Romano's X handle).

Cristiano Ronaldo is a five-time recipient of the prestigious Ballon d'Or. He won his first with Manchester United and four more while playing for Real Madrid.