Vinicius joins Ronaldo, Romario in rare World Cup milestone

Brazilian star Vinicius Junior has etched his name alongside some of the greatest figures in Brazil’s football history, becoming the first player in 24 years to score in all three World Cup group-stage matches for the Seleção.

The 25-year-old forward reached the milestone during Brazil’s commanding 3-0 victory over Scotland, scoring twice to continue his remarkable run at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Vinicius had already found the net against Morocco and Haiti in Brazil’s opening two group-stage fixtures. His brace against Scotland completed a feat last achieved by Ronaldo Nazário and Rivaldo during Brazil’s triumphant 2002 World Cup campaign.

The achievement places Vinicius in elite company. Only three Brazilian players had previously scored in every group-stage match of a World Cup campaign — Jairzinho in 1970, Romario in 1994, and the Ronaldo-Rivaldo duo in 2002. Notably, Brazil went on to lift the trophy in each of those tournaments.

Vinicius opened the scoring after just seven minutes, capitalising on a defensive error before calmly rounding the goalkeeper and finishing into an empty net. He thought he had doubled his tally moments later, but a VAR review ruled out the goal after detecting a touch in the build-up.

The Real Madrid winger eventually secured his second goal deep into first-half stoppage time, heading home from a precise delivery by Bruno Guimarães.

With four goals already to his name in the tournament, Vinicius has emerged as Brazil’s standout performer and one of the leading contenders for the Golden Boot as the five-time world champions prepare for the knockout stages.