Vinicius breaks silence after Brazil's elimination by Norway in World Cup round of 16

Vinicius Junior broke his silence on Friday via an Instagram post, four days after Brazil’s elimination in the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup against Norway and Erling Haaland — another early setback for the Seleção, twelve years after the 7-1 thrashing inflicted by Germany in Belo Horizonte.

“Almost four years later and I still think about what to write after a World Cup frustration,” wrote the 25-year-old forward, accompanying his message with a black and white photo. “I saw so many people of all ages supporting me, embracing our dream, that it would be unfair to stay silent. But I needed a few days to reflect. Wearing the national team jersey is the greatest pride of my life, and exiting a World Cup in the round of 16 is a feeling difficult to explain.”

Vinicius had been Brazil’s standout player in the tournament: he scored four goals and provided one assist in the group stage, and was by far the sharpest player in the group managed by Carlo Ancelotti. But his performance against Norway, and notably his decision not to take the penalty missed by Bruno Guimarães at 0-0, had somewhat tarnished this bright start to the competition.

In his message, the player also took collective responsibility for the failure. “I know how much I prepared, how much I focused, how much I wanted this for you, for my family. The feeling of frustration is immense. We had a strong enough squad to do better and we failed. I apologize and I will fight for our dream of returning to the top of the world,” he concluded.

This round-of-16 elimination extends a dark streak for Brazil in the World Cup: eliminated by Belgium in the quarterfinals in 2018, then by Croatia on penalties in the quarterfinals in 2022, the Seleção has not reached the final four since 2002, the year of their last world title.