Vinicius Jr. helped Brazil secure their place in the 2026 World Cup with a decisive goal in a tightly contested match against Paraguay. 

The Real Madrid forward scored the only goal of the game after latching on to Matheus Cunha’s pass, ensuring Carlo Ancelotti marked his first win as Brazil’s national team coach. 

However, the celebrations were muted after Vinicius limped off the field in the 78th minute, visibly struggling with a muscle issue.

With Real Madrid preparing for their Club World Cup debut in just a week, any injury, however minor, could be a major setback. 

The club will now be anxiously monitoring his condition over the coming hours to assess whether the problem is serious.

A big problem for Real Madrid

Although Vinicius scored the winning goal, the rest of his night did not quite meet his usual standards. 

He found it difficult to dominate one-on-one duels and often lacked precision in his crosses from the left wing. Signs of fatigue were apparent even before he clutched his leg, raising early concerns.

Despite this, the 24-year-old appeared calm after the match. Smiling and relaxed, he told reporters it was time to enjoy the World Cup qualification and spoke positively about Brazil’s future. 

Vinicius will miss Brazil’s next match against Chile due to yellow card suspension, which may turn out to be a blessing for Real Madrid. 

The forced rest could give him valuable time to recover and return fully fit in time for the Club World Cup, where his presence could be crucial for Los Blancos, especially considering the fact that he will be one of the late joiners in Xabi Alonso’s training sessions.