Vinicius Jr. Steps Up to Fill Cristiano Ronaldo’s Shoes with Impressive Goal against Manchester City, Proving His Worth as Real Madrid’s Next Superstar

After Ronaldo departed Real Madrid to join Juventus in 2018, Karim Benzema took over as the team’s ᴏꜰꜰᴇɴsɪᴠᴇ leader and flourished under Carlo Ancelotti.

If Vinicius Jr. continues to perform at his current level of brilliance while wearing the Los Blancos jersey, he will soon be acknowledged as a prominent superstar.

During the first leg of the UEFA Champions League semi-final against Manchester City on May 10, Real Madrid encountered difficulties in asserting their style of play. Pep Guardiola’s team dominated possession and created more scoring opportunities. Nevertheless, in matches of such magnitude, a moment of extraordinary brilliance from a superstar is all it takes to turn the tide. In the 36th minute, Vinicius scored an unstoppable goal, granting the Royal squad the advantage.

In recent years, Real Madrid has become accustomed to Cristiano Ronaldo’s skill of breaking through from the left and confidently finishing goals. This proficiency played a significant role in their dominance as the best team in the world for several consecutive years, resulting in four Champions League titles with a squad primarily composed of players over 30.

However, since Ronaldo’s departure over five years ago, Real Madrid has lost that sense of fear they once instilled in their opponents, despite their undeniable superiority. Presently, the Brazilian international, Vinicius, unquestionably stands as one of the top players on the planet, a player whom every defense should be afraid of.

When Real Madrid signed Vinicius in 2017, the 16-year-old striker was taken aback by the £38 million price tag associated with his transfer. However, as time has passed, there is no longer any doubt about Vinicius’ exceptional talent. Currently, only Erling Haaland and Mohamed Salah have managed to score more goals than the 22-year-old “runner” in Europe’s premier club competition this year.

Vinicius Jr. paid tribute to Cristiano Ronaldo by having CR7 pictures painted on the walls of his home gym. The final result was shared on social media with the caption “Idol Wall” by artist Rene Makela, who worked on the project. Alongside Ronaldo, the gym also features paintings of Vinicius himself, as well as legends Ronaldo Nazario and Pele. Additionally, photos of LeBron James, Michael Jordan, and Kobe Bryant can be seen in the gym, serving as a constant reminder for Vinicius to strive for greatness in his chosen field.

Vinicius resides in Madrid, Spain, and Makela, a renowned independent artist, hails from the same country. Makela has previously created artwork featuring Antoine Griezmann, legendary race car driver Jorge Lorenzo, and former baseball player Matt Kemp.

At Real Madrid, Vinicius is enjoying his time. The 22-year-old winger is considered both the present and the future of the team. In the previous season, he made 52 appearances across all competitions, contributing 22 goals and 20 assists, which played a crucial role in Real Madrid winning La Liga and the Champions League.

In the current season, Vinicius has made 41 appearances in all competitions, providing 11 assists and scoring 19 goals. Real Madrid has also reached the quarterfinals of the Champions League and is set to face Chelsea. However, their performance in La Liga has been relatively weaker compared to the previous year, where they finished in second place.

Following Barcelona’s 4-0 victory over Elche in round 27 of La Liga, the gap between them and Real Madrid has increased to 15 points. Real Madrid will have the opportunity to reduce that gap when they face Real Valladolid at home tonight.