Vinicius Júnior continued his fine form at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, etching his name into the annals of Brazilian football as the Selecao defeated Scotland 3-0. The Real Madrid striker scored twice in Miami to become the first Brazilian player in 24 years to score in all three World Cup group matches, equaling the feat achieved by Ronaldo Nazario and Rivaldo during Brazil’s 2002 title win.Vinicius’s brace also gave him four goals in this World Cup, making him one of the strong contenders for the Golden Boot, helping Brazil advance to the round of 32 as Group C champions.
Vinicius joins exclusive list of Brazil legends
Brazil has produced some of the greatest forwards in World Cup history, but only five players have managed to score in each of the country’s three group games at a single World Cup.Vinicius has now joined Jaizinho (1970), Romario (1994), Ronaldo (2002) and Rivaldo (2002) as the first Brazilians to achieve this milestone in almost a quarter of a century.He showed remarkable consistency throughout the group stages with Brazil. He opened his tournament account with a save in the 1-1 draw with Morocco and scored and assisted in Brazil’s comfortable 3-0 victory over Haiti. He produced his best performance to date against Scotland, scoring twice and breaking the record.
Scotland punished for Vinicius’ cool finish
It took Brazil just seven minutes to take control of Miami. Vinicius put pressure on Scotland up front, taking advantage of a misplaced pass from Scott McKenna, collecting the ball in the box and calmly firing a low shot past Angus Gunn to give Brazil an early lead.
Brazil’s Vinicius Junior (7) celebrates after scoring his team’s second goal during the soccer match between Scotland and Brazil in World Cup Group C, Wednesday, June 24, 2026, in Miami Gardens, Florida. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
He thought he had doubled the advantage midway through the first half after another fluid move, but VAR ruled the goal was disallowed as Marquinhos fouled in the build-up.The second goal was eventually scored in first-half stoppage time. After regaining possession from a partially free corner, Bruno Guimarães delivered a tempting cross to the far post. Vinicius timed his move perfectly, rising to his feet just before the break and firing a downward header past Gunn to put Brazil firmly in control of the game.
Brazil’s Vinicius Junior (7) scores his team’s second goal during the World Cup Group C soccer match between Scotland and Brazil on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, in Miami Gardens, Florida. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Matheus Cunha added Brazil’s third goal in the 60th minute to complete the win, while Neymar returned from injury as a second-half substitute in Brazil’s first World Cup appearance since losing to Croatia in the quarter-finals in Qatar four years ago.
Brazil remain undefeated in group stage
The victory ensured top spot in Group C, with Brazil finishing the group stage unbeaten on seven points after a 1-1 draw with Morocco and consecutive 3-0 wins over Haiti and Scotland.Vinicius was the heart of that game. In three games, he scored four goals and provided one assist, bringing his total to 13 goals in 52 international games for Brazil.His performance also reshaped the race for the Golden Boot. Lionel Messi currently leads the tournament with five goals after scoring twice against Austria, while Vinícius joined Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland on four goals to ensure one of the stories of this tournament is the four-goal winner.Brazil now enter the last 32 with strong momentum, with Vinicius becoming the focal point of Ancelotti’s attack and continuing to rank alongside the greatest goalscorer in Selecao’s World Cup history.
