Vinicius responds after Ronaldo Nazario congratulates him with ‘the best player in the world is black and Brazilian’ claim after The Best FIFA awards

Vinicius Jr has thanked Ronaldo Nazario for his kind words after picking up the Men's Player of the Year award at the FIFA The Best award. The Real Madrid star thanked the legendary footballer for his advice and called him his idol.

On Instagram, Ronaldo stated that he was proud of Vinicius Jr and wrote ‘the best player in the world is black and Brazilian’. The Real Madrid star was quick to comment on the post and said:

"You are our idol. Thanks for so much joy and advice."

Vinicius Jr picked up the Men's Footballer of the Year award this week at the FIFA The Best award. He was swiftly back on the pitch for Real Madrid in the FIFA Intercontinental Cup and scored from the spot in the final against CF Pachuca. Los Blancos won the game 3-0, with Kylian Mbappe and Rodrygo also finding the back of the net.

What did Ronaldo write about Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr?

Ronaldo wrote a long caption for Vinicius Jr after the Real Madrid star was crowned the best player of the year. He admitted that it has been a long wait for the Brazilians to get the trophy back as it has been 16 years since someone from the country won the award. He wrote on Instagram:

"...and speaking of restoring respect to Brazilian football, here he is. @vinijr maximum respect! ✊🏿⚽️ 16 years have passed since the last time the trophy for the best player in the world came to Brazil. Now deservedly in Vini's hands, it means much more than his decisive role in the games and the extraordinary numbers in the 2023/24 season. For the award, his talent would be enough, but his power goes far beyond the field."

"We are talking about one of the most valuable players today, a victim of televised racism with inconceivable frequency. How many anonymous Vinicius are represented by him? How many victims are spread all over? A symbol of resistance and resilience, today Vini also leads the anti-racist fight in world football, where impunity is as pernicious as the attacks. And those who remain silent are no less racist. The omission - especially by entities and authorities who have the legal power to confront and punish such practices - further reinforces the culture of erasure and disrespect towards black people. They tried to erase you, my friend. And you gave them a show.🕺🏿 THE BEST PLAYER IN THE WORLD IS BLACK AND BRAZILIAN! 🏆"

Vinicus Jr was touted to win the Ballon d'Or this year but Manchester City star Rodri won the award. Real Madrid and the Brazilian were furious after finding out the result hours before the gala and boycotted the event in Paris.