Real Madrid vice-captain Vinicius Jr. promised that his team will win the Champions League, in what would complete a “triplete” for the Brazilian in this respect while being a record-extending 16th title in the competition for the Spanish giants.
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Real Madrid vice-captain Vinicius Jr. promised that his team will win the Champions League this season, in what would complete a “triplete” for the Brazilian in this respect while being a record-extending 16th title in the competition for the Spanish giants.
Los Blancos have gone the last two seasons without major silverware, while bitter rival FC Barcelona cleaned up five out of six domestic trophies on offer.
The last time Real Madrid lifted something of note was at Wembley in 2024, when Vinicius once more scored in a Champions League final.
On that occasion it came at Borussia Dortmund’s expense, and helped seal a double under Carlo Ancelotti which also contained the La Liga title.
Speaking ahead of his team’s debut on the continent against Inter Milan on Tuesday night, Vinicius called the strikes against the Germans and Liverpool in the 2022 decider the “most important of my life”, while also saying “hopefully the 16th will come”.
“We’re prepared for that. It’s our competition, but we haven’t done it well for two years. Our first goal is to be in the top eight. We’re always excited about the Champions League. This season is going to be different from the last two, and we are going to win it,” Vinicius confidently stated, to his club’s official media channels.
Vinicius added that whenever the Champions League comes around, it’s always “something different” at the Bernabeu.
He called Inter Milan, finalists in 2023 and 2025, a “great team that is going to demand a lot from us”.
“Inter are a very strong team physically. They defend with five defenders, and it’s something that usually makes it difficult for us, but the coach has things ready.
“We have some casualties, this makes it difficult for us, but we are all going to come out strong and hopefully we can have that wonderful connection with the fans in these games,” Vinicius concluded.
How far can Real Madrid go in the Champions League?
That’s anyone’s guess. But if there’s a competition that can bring the best out of the club from the capital – it’s this one.
Many find that, even though Madrid seemed to have started 2026/2027 with a spring in their step under new manager Jose Mourinho, there are still the same shortages of figures like Toni Kroos and Luka Modric in midfield, who were so key to that mentioned UCL and La Liga-winning campaign just over two years ago.
In lieu of that, defensive contributions will be required of the forwards meaning Vinicius and Kylian Mbappe in particular. But as the Frenchman communicated at a controversial pre-match press conference on Monday, he doesn’t seem to view that as much of an issue at Real Madrid.
