Vinicius Junior comes in for surprise criticism as Brazil exit 2026 World Cup

Vinicius Junior comes in for surprise criticism as Brazil exit 2026 World Cup On Sunday, Brazil bowed out of the 2026 World Cup after losing 2-1 to Norway, meaning Vinicius Junior and Endrick will soon return to Real Madrid. The former had a very impressive tournament in North America , although not everyone was in agreement. As per Diario AS , Brazil icon Ronaldo Nazario, who snubbed Vinicius during a recent interview , stated his belief that the Real Madrid man did not have a good World Cup, and that was one of reasons why the Selecao were eliminated at the round of 16 stage. “Vinicius Junior also has to assume his responsibility. We all know how talented he is, but this hasn’t been a good World Cup for him. He never seemed like the player we have seen dominate in club football. When Brazil needed its biggest stars, it never really prevailed in the tournament. Norway deserved their victory, let’s be clear about that. They were organized, disciplined and Haaland punished every mistake. But Brazil helped Norway by making poor decisions before the match even started. At this level, one or two mistakes can end your World Cup. Tonight there were too many .” Ronaldo also lays into Carlo Ancelotti Ronaldo also took aim at former Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti, who failed to take Brazil far in his first World Cup. “I have to be honest, I think this elimination starts with decisions from the bench. Carlo Ancelotti is one of the best coaches in the history of football, but tonight he made too many mistakes. I still don’t understand why João Pedro was not part of this squad. He’s had an exceptional season, he’s in form, and Brazil needed a striker who could offer something different. Then you look at Endrick. Every time he played in this tournament, he brought energy, aggression and unpredictability. However, he spent most of the World Cup sitting on the bench. I don’t understand that.” To say that Vinicius had a poor World Cup would be incorrect. He may have failed to make the difference against Norway, but he was by far Brazil’s best player, with four goals and one assist in the five matches he played in North America.