Vinícius Júnior Receives Socrates Award for His Contributions Off the Field

Vinícius Júnior is being recognized for his activism…

The 23-year-old Brazilian soccer player and Real Madrid star, a winger for La Liga club Real Madrid and the Brazil national team, has received the Socrates Award at the Ballon d’Or ceremony for his contribution off the field

Vinícius Júnior Vinícius Júnior vowed to keep speaking out against racism in world soccer after.

Vinícius, who has been racially abused repeatedly in LaLiga games over the last two seasons, was recognized for starting a foundation that is building schools in impoverished areas and investing in education in Brazil.

“I will remain strong in the fight against racism,” said the Brazilian, who received the award from the Prince of Monaco. “It is a very sad thing to talk about racism nowadays, but we have to continue in the fight so that people suffer less.

“Very happy to receive this award and to help many children in Brazil. I had little chance of getting where I have coming from where I came so it is a pleasure for me to help as many kid as I can so they can have a chance.”

The 23-year-old was the only Brazilian in the top 10 of the ranking for this year’s Ballon d’Or after scoring 23 goals in all competitions for Madrid last season.

The forward was also part of an emotional tribute to Pelé, the Brazil great who died in December last year at the age of 82.

“Pele is a god for me and if I am here today, it is thanks to him. He put Brazil on a different level and people respect Brazilian players thanks to the great legacy he left,” Vinicius said.

The Vini Jr. Institute, created in 2020, aims to use the popularity of football to help innovations in teaching and learning in Brazilian public schools.

Rodrygo Helps Lead Real Madrid Into Champions League Semifinals

Rodrygo has helped his team advance…

The 22-year-old Brazilian professional footballer scored a second-half brace for Real Madrid in a 2-0 win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday to seal a spot in the Champions League semifinals for the defending champions by a final aggregate score of 4-0.

RodrygoIt’s the first time Chelsea have lost four games in a row since 1993.

A cagey opening 45 minutes looked similar to Madrid’s 2-0 win in the first leg of the quarterfinal tie as Chelsea came out strong before the visitors settled into the game and were largely in control up to half-time.

Marc Cucurella should have scored just before the half, but a scampering Thibaut Courtois blocked his close-range strike after the Spaniard was left all alone at the far post and the teams went into the break tied 0-0.

“It isn’t easy to get to the semifinals or a final. In the last three years we’ve got to a lot of them,” Courtois said following the win. “Obviously when you play a semifinal and lose, like against [Chelsea] three years ago, you don’t celebrate it.

“We’re happy to get to a semifinal, which isn’t easy, but once you’re there, if you lose, it doesn’t feel like much. Our target is to go through and win.”

Any hopes Chelsea might have had of an improbable comeback were dashed when Rodrygo scored shortly before the hour mark — the celebrations starting well and truly in Madrid a little over 20 minutes later when the Brazilian doubled the lead for Carlo Ancelotti‘s side.

“I don’t know how to explain it. I always say it’s a very special competition for me, every time I play I can help the team,” Rodrygo said after the match. “I’m happy and I hope to carry on like that, scoring more goals, providing more assists and winning the Champions League again.”

Rodrygo finished off a sweeping counter-attack against a helpless Chelsea, who have lost all four games since Frank Lampard returned as interim manager, skipping past Trevoh Chalobah‘s wild lunge with his cross eventually played back to him by fellow Brazi international Vinicius Junior for him to slot home.

The closing stages were almost academic and Real turned on the style with Federico Valverde teeing up Rodrygo’s second that was the catalyst for a mass exodus of Chelsea fans from their home ground.

“It’s a pleasure to be here at Real Madrid, the biggest team in the world,” Rodrygo added. “We know we have almost the obligation to get to semifinals and finals and to win the Champions League. Since I arrived we’ve had that in our heads, we have to go far, we have to play well, and that’s what we’ve done since I’ve been here: we’ve gone far in this competition.”

While Chelsea’s season will end trophy-less under their new American owners despite a £500 million pounds ($621 million) outlay on new players, 14-times European champions Madrid march on with Ancelotti eyeing the trophy for a fifth time.

“We knew you have to suffer in this kind of game,” Ancelotti said. “They gave everything In the first half they caused us problems especially on the left, we fixed that in the second half. It’s normal to suffer, we had a good level, solid at the back. A good game, a deserved win, we’re very happy.”

Madrid did pick up one bit of bad news on an otherwise joyous night when Eder Militao picked up a yellow card that will keep him out of the first leg of the semifinals due to accumulation.

Ancelotti said: “A bit worried, going down to 10 men would have been difficult, but after that he had a spectacular game at the back. He’ll miss the first leg of the semifinal, but let’s hope we’ll have [David] Alaba back.”

Madrid will likely face Manchester City in the semifinals, with Pep Guardiola‘s team leading Bayern Munich 3-0 in their quarterfinal with one leg to play.

Rodrygo Helps Lead Real Madrid Past CP Cacereno in Copa del Rey Play

Rodrygo has helped Real Madrid notch an important win… 

A second-string Real Madrid side edged fourth-tier CP Cacereno 1-0 in the Copa del Rey last 32 with a late goal from the 21-year-old Brazilian professional footballer as they bid for their first triumph in the competition since 2014.

RodrygoReal Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti made nine changes to the team that won 2-0 at Real Valladolid on Friday, resting several key players including Karim Benzema and Vinícius Junior.

Real Madrid went into the break locked at 0-0 versus Cacereno, with a crowded stadium seeing little action in the opening period.

It took 69 minutes for Real to break the deadlock when Rodrygo eluded the Cacereno defence to get into the box where he elegantly placed his shot into the top-right corner.

The Santos youth product celebrated by honoring the late Pele, replicating his iconic punch in the air.

Cacereno mounted a late push to get an equalizer, but Real Madrid went into defensive mode and ran down the clock.

Vinicius Junior Scores a Goal to Help Put Real Madrid Atop the La Liga Standings

Vinicius Junior helps lead Real Madrid to victory…

The 19-year-old Brazilian professional footballer and his compatriot Rodrygo sent Real Madrid to the top of La Liga as both scored in a 2-0 win over Osasuna on Wednesday.

Vinicius Junior

Vinicius ended a goal drought which had dragged on since February with a deflected effort in the first half from the edge of the box.

Zinedine Zidane started a heavily rotated XI with Karim BenzemaEden Hazard and Thibaut Courtois all on the bench, and the hosts went close twice inside of 20 minutes with Luka Jovic firing over the crossbar from close range and Toni Kroos just missing a golazo from distance soon after.

Osasuna had their chances, but Real Madrid were the first to score on 35 minutes when Vinicius Jr. picked up a pass from Kross, cut to his right and fired an unstoppable shot past Ruben to give his team a 1-0 lead at the break.

Jovic made a mess of a clear-cut chance to double Madrid’s lead just after the break, somehow flashing his shot over the bar for a second time after Lucas Vazquez had set him up with a one-on-one against Ruben.

The Serbian looked to have made amends just before the hour mark, slotting home from another Vazquez assist, but Jovic, still in search of his first goal since joining Los Blancos, was adjudged to be slightly offside on the play after video review and the goal was waved off.

Rodrygo, the summer arrival from Santos, finally gave Real Madrid their second, settling a long ball over the top of the Osasuna defense with a sublime first touch and racing into the penalty area to slot home a far post shot for the 2-0 lead.

Real Madrid climbed to the top of the standings with 14 points from six games, one point and one place ahead of Atletico Madrid, whom they face on Saturday in the derby at the Wanda Metropolitano.

“We’re really pleased with the result, the work we put in and for the win,” said Real winger Vazquez.

“I’m really happy for (Vinicius), he’s a great lad, he works hard and I’m super happy for him.”