Vinicius Jr., who had an outstanding weekend with Real Madrid in La Liga, rejoins the Brazilian national team to face an unbeaten Venezuela in the South American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup this Thursday. After expressing frustration over not winning the Ballon d’Or by stating on social media, “If necessary, I’ll do ten times more; they’re not ready”, Vinicius made good on his promise by scoring a hat-trick in Real Madrid’s 4-0 win over Osasuna. Now, he is set to bring this fierce determination to Brazil’s upcoming match.
Following a few lackluster performances, Brazil rebounded strongly in the qualifiers with recent wins over Chile (2-1) and Peru (4-0), climbing back to fourth place, six points behind Argentina. “I hope we continue the momentum from our last two games. Venezuela is unbeaten at home… it will be a tough game”, remarked Brazil’s coach Dorival Júnior, as cited on the Brazilian Football Confederation’s (CBF) website.
In their recent home games, Venezuela managed to hold top teams Argentina (1-1) and Uruguay (0-0), both high in the standings with 16 points. Still seeking their first World Cup appearance, Venezuela is hopeful that the expanded qualification slots—six direct and one potential playoff spot—will enable their debut on the world stage. Despite a strong start to the campaign, recent away losses to Bolivia (4-0) and Paraguay (2-1) leave them eighth in the standings with 11 points, emphasizing the need to secure points at any cost.
“This match is a chance for us to make a statement and show we’re contenders”, stated Venezuela’s coach, Argentine Fernando “Bocha” Batista. In their last encounter in October 2023, Venezuela and Brazil drew 1-1.