The aspirations of Brazil to end their lengthy quest for World Cup success faced a harsh conclusion following a 2-1 loss to Norway in the Round of 16, as Erling Haaland netted two goals to knock out the five-time champions.
The consequences of the loss were filled with inquiries about why Vinicius Júnior did not execute Brazil’s first-half penalty while the score remained tied at zero.
Instead, Bruno Guimarães took the penalty, but his shot was denied by Norway’s Ørjan Nyland, a pivotal moment that ultimately proved expensive as Haaland’s two goals propelled Norway into the quarter-finals.
Following Brazil’s exit, Vinicius emphasized that the choice of the penalty taker was determined by head coach Carlo Ancelotti rather than himself.
“Why didn’t I take the penalty? Because it was the manager’s decision. I never hide or shirk my responsibilities.
“At Real Madrid, whenever the manager asked me to, I took them. Here, I followed the decision that had been made.
“This shows that I haven’t been selfish or acted in bad faith by seeking the spotlight,” he said, as per SPORT.
The forward from Brazil’s national football team also defended Guimaraes, asking fans not to judge his international career based on the missed penalty.
“I hope that Bruno Guimaraes’s career with the Brazilian national team isn’t marred by this mistake.”
Despite the criticism regarding Brazil’s tactical choices during the tournament, Vinicius voiced complete backing for Ancelotti, who assumed leadership of the national team before the competition.
“He’s a manager who gives me a lot of confidence.”
The 26-year-old acknowledged that Brazil’s departure was yet another painful letdown for a country eager to regain football’s top honor after years without securing the trophy.
“We have to move on. I can only apologize to our ‘torcida,’ who always believed in us and stood by us.
“There’s a lot of frustration because the Seleção haven’t won for a long time.”
Looking ahead, Vinicius expressed confidence that Brazil’s coming generation can return the national team to the top of world football.
“We younger players are going to carry on and do everything we can to take the Seleção to the top,” he concluded.
