Whereas he might have misplaced out on the Ballon d’Or to Rodri earlier this yr (or, as Actual Madrid would put it, been the sufferer of “a historic theft,”) Vinícius Júnior can no less than take a crumb of consolation in the truth that he has now handed a major milestone for his membership.
By scoring in Wednesday’s 2-1 loss to Arsenal within the Champions League, the fleet-footed winger has overtaken legendary striker Ronaldo Nazário to grow to be the highest-scoring participant from Brazil in Actual Madrid historical past, shifting to the highest of a star-studded checklist of compatriots.
On the age of 24, Vinícius has now scored 105 objectives in 310 video games for Actual Madrid since arriving on the Bernabéu in the summertime of 2018, when the LaLiga giants parted with €45m, the second-largest switch charge ever paid to a Brazilian membership (behind Barcelona’s €65m deal for Neymar in 2013), in an effort to signal the prodigious teenager from Flamengo.
Vinícius is in good firm on the all-time checklist of Madrid’s Brazilian objective scorers, becoming a member of Selecao icons corresponding to Ronaldo, Kaká and Roberto Carlos.
His objective towards Arsenal might not have been sufficient to finish one other traditional Actual Madrid comeback, nevertheless it has claimed for him one other small slice of membership historical past.
10. Julio Baptista (13 objectives in 78 video games for Actual Madrid)
An imposing, bodily ahead, Baptista did not actually match the invoice at Actual Madrid after arriving from Sevilla for €20m and was despatched out on mortgage to Arsenal after muddling by way of his debut 2005-06 season on the Bernabéu, throughout which he pitched in with a meagre 9 objectives in 45 appearances (largely whereas being performed out of place) as Los Blancos did not win a trophy. His second stint was equally flat, although he did rating a treasured successful objective in a historic Clasico win over Barcelona at Camp Nou which helped propel Actual Madrid to the 2007-08 title.
9. Kaká (29 objectives in 120 video games)
After successful the Ballon d’Or for uplifting AC Milan to Champions League glory in 2006-07, Kaká was initially chased by the then-nouveau-riche Manchester Metropolis. As an alternative, he joined Actual Madrid in 2009 for €67m, which was briefly a world-record switch charge, just for that to be eclipsed by Cristiano Ronaldo‘s €80m arrival later that very same summer season. Sadly, a succession of accidents thwarted his time as a Galactico, however the playmaker nonetheless made a mark by successful the Copa del Rey and a LaLiga title earlier than returning to Milan on a free switch in September 2013.
8. Sávio (30 objectives in 160 video games)
A diminutive left-sided ahead who arrived from Flamengo and infrequently served as back-up to the Galacticos of the period, Sávio nonetheless gained seven main trophies in 5 seasons on the Bernabéu between 1997 and 2002; a powerful honour roll that features no fewer than three Champions League titles.
7. Casemiro (31 objectives in 336 video games)
Regardless of being a defensive midfielder by commerce, Casemiro is comfortably within the prime 10 due to the constant objective return he maintained throughout a decade-long run within the Actual Madrid first staff. The Brazil worldwide actually hit his stride between 2016 and 2022, scoring 29 objectives in all competitions (together with a 30-yard screamer within the 2017 Champions League last) whereas hoovering up a mountain of silverware with Los Blancos.
6. Robinho (35 objectives in 137 video games)
After breaking by way of at Santos, Robinho signed for Actual Madrid for €24m at the beginning of the 2005-06 season beneath Fabio Capello. After an intermittent begin to life in Spain, the nimble winger quickly grew to become a first-team staple, successful two LaLiga titles in 4 years earlier than departing for Manchester Metropolis in a chaotic €42.5m deadline-day switch in the summertime of 2008 — the exact same day the Premier League facet introduced their buyout by Sheikh Mansour and the Abu Dhabi Funding Group.
5. Marcelo (38 objectives in 546 video games) 2006-22
Marcelo spent 16 years at Actual Madrid between 2006-2022 and also you higher imagine he has the medals to indicate for it. The left-back, who was signed for a paltry €6.5m from Fluminense when he was 18 years outdated, gained 25 main honours on the Bernabéu, together with six league titles and 5 Champions Leagues whereas additionally contributing a number of objectives to the trigger. Marcelo additionally scored within the Champions League last, serving to put the 2014 battle towards Atlético Madrid to mattress in additional time after Sergio Ramos‘ 94th-minute headed equaliser had rescued Madrid from a catastrophic defeat in Lisbon in essentially the most dramatic circumstances.
4. Rodrygo (68 objectives in 256 video games)
One in every of solely two present Actual gamers within the goal-scoring prime 10, Rodrygo signed for the membership from Santos for €45m in the summertime of 2019 and has established himself of their attacking trident whereas stationed on the other flank to Vinícius. The speedy winger has already gained two league and Champions League doubles with Los Blancos, and 13 main honours total.
3. Roberto Carlos (69 objectives in 527 video games)
After a yr in Italy with Internazionale, Roberto Carlos moved to Actual Madrid in the summertime of 1996. He went straight in as first-choice left-back and ended up staying for 11 seasons, throughout which he amassed 13 trophies. The formidable full-back was commonly seen in much more superior attacking positions than his accompanying winger. He additionally presided over free kicks from lengthy vary, of which he scored 24 for Los Blancos at a conversion fee of round 4.5% (one in 22.)
2. Ronaldo Nazário (104 objectives in 177 video games)
One of many best all-action strikers of the fashionable period, Ronaldo signed for €46m from Inter Milan in 2002. However his five-year spell on the Bernabéu was truly a reasonably stop-start, injury-hampered interval. Nonetheless, his objective tally nonetheless hit treble figures for the membership at a prolific fee of 0.58 per sport, passing the 30-goal mark in his first two seasons and hitting 24 in his third. Steadily, although, throughout his last two years in Spain he succumbed to the damage and health issues that had affected him earlier in his profession, and he by no means absolutely recovered earlier than retiring in 2011.
1. Vinícius Júnior (105 objectives in 310 video games]
After taking a few seasons to search out his toes as a youngster in a brand new nation, Vinícius started to actually set up himself at Actual Madrid in 2021-22. Since then, he has scored 20 objectives or extra each season. Simply earlier than his twenty fourth birthday, he grew to become the youngest participant ever to attain in two Champions League finals when he added his strike towards Borussia Dortmund in 2024 to the one objective of the 2022 showpiece towards Liverpool. Even after the arrival of Kylian Mbappé on the Bernabéu this season, Vinícius continues to function as one of many world’s most inventive, skilful and direct attacking gamers.
