RIO DE JANEIRO, July 11 — Vinicius Junior has spoken of his “overwhelming frustration” after Brazil’s World Cup elimination by Norway in the round of 16.
The 25-year-old apologized to fans for Brazil’s 2-1 loss to Norway last Sunday, a result that marked its earliest World Cup exit since 1990. “Almost four years later, I’m once again thinking about what to write after the disappointment of a World Cup,” he said, referring to the quarterfinal loss to Croatia in Qatar. “So many people of all ages supported us and embraced our dream that it would be unfair to remain silent. But I needed a few days to reflect.” Brazil finished top of its World Cup group and beat Japan in the round of 32 before last Sunday’s defeat in New Jersey.
Vinicius scored four goals and provided an assist during the tournament, taking his overall World Cup record to five goals and three assists in nine games. “Wearing the Brazil shirt is the greatest honor of my life, and going out of a World Cup in the round of 16 is a feeling that’s hard to explain,” he said. “I know how much I prepared, how focused I was and how badly I wanted this, for all of you and for my family.” The Real Madrid forward added: “The frustration is overwhelming. We had a group strong enough to achieve more, and we didn’t. I’m sorry, and I’ll keep fighting for our dream of taking Brazil back to the top of the world.”
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