Paquetá Sees Vinícius Júnior as More Protagonist and Decisive for Brazil

Brazilian midfielder Lucas Paquetá observes that his national teammate Vinícius Júnior has evolved into a more central and impactful player for the Seleção. Paquetá credits this development, in part, to the arrival of coach Carlo Ancelotti, under whom Vinícius has flourished at the club level.

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Vini is in a very good growth phase within the national team. From my point of view, it's not that he wasn't already playing great games, but now he is more prominent and decisive.

"Vini is in a very good growth phase within the national team," Paquetá stated from the team's hotel in Basking Ridge, New Jersey. "From my point of view, it's not that he wasn't already playing great games, but now he is more prominent and decisive."

Vinícius has demonstrated his enhanced role with a strong start to the 2026 World Cup, contributing two goals and an assist in Brazil's opening two Group C matches against Morocco and Haiti. Paquetá, who shares a long-standing friendship with Vinícius dating back to their time at Flamengo, noted that the Real Madrid attacker feels more comfortable with the national team, especially under Ancelotti's guidance.

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Vini already knows him and feels more comfortable. He has more confidence, and that influences things a bit.

"Vini already knows him and feels more comfortable. He has more confidence, and that influences things a bit," Paquetá added. He also expressed happiness over Neymar's return from a muscle injury, emphasizing the veteran's importance to the squad. Brazil currently leads Group C with four points, level with Morocco.

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We are very happy for Neymar's return. He is a very important guy for our national team, he has a beautiful history and can still help us a lot. I hope he plays again as soon as possible.