Vinicius explains why he did not take Brazil’s crucial penalty against Norway: ‘This shows I have not been selfish’
· Yahoo Sports
Brazil’s hopes of ending their long wait for World Cup glory came crashing down after Erling Haaland and Norway inspired a stunning 2-1 victory over the Seleção in the Round of 16, with much of the post-match discussion centring around Vinicius Jr. and the penalty incident that unfolded at a crucial moment of the contest.
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Haaland’s brace proved decisive as Brazil suffered a painful World Cup heartbreak, while questions emerged over why Vinicius did not take Brazil’s penalty when the score remained level at 0-0.
Instead, Bruno Guimaraes stepped up from the spot, only to see his effort saved by Norway goalkeeper Orjan Nyland, leaving many wondering whether the outcome could have been different.
Vinicius explains penalty decision
The defeat marked another frustrating chapter for Vinicius Jr,’s World Cup ambitions, with the Real Madrid forward facing intense scrutiny following Brazil’s exit.
Speaking after Brazil was knocked out by Norway at the World Cup, the winger made it clear that the penalty decision was not his own and insisted he simply followed instructions from the coaching staff.
“Why didn’t I take the penalty? Because it was the manager’s decision. I never hide or shirk my responsibilities.
Vinicius could not prevent Brazil from World Cup elimination. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
“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 Brazilian international also defended his teammate Bruno Guimaraes and urged supporters not to judge him solely because of the missed opportunity.
“I hope that Bruno Guimaraes’s career with the Brazilian national team isn’t marred by this mistake.”
Vinicius backs Ancelotti
Despite the criticism aimed at the coaching decisions, Vinicius backed Carlo Ancelotti and remains fully supportive of the Italian manager.
Speaking about the Brazil coach, the Real Madrid attacker emphasised the confidence he continues to receive from his coach.
Vinicius has defended Carlo Ancelotti. (Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images)
“He’s a manager who gives me a lot of confidence.”
The Brazilian also admitted the defeat represented a huge setback for a country desperate to return to the summit of international football.
“We have to move on. I can only apologise 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 maintained an optimistic outlook regarding the future of the national team. He explained,
“We younger players are going to carry on and do everything we can to take the Seleção to the top,” he concluded.