Brazilian winger Vinicius Junior, 25, has clarified why he did not step up to take the first penalty in Brazil’s 2-1 defeat to Norway in the World Cup knockout stage. Many supporters expected him to take the shot after Bruno Guimarães missed an opportunity to score in the 14th minute, a moment that proved critical as Norway’s Erling Haaland netted two late goals.
Vinicius explained that he followed the decision made by the head coach, Carlo Ancelotti, regarding penalty takers. “The coach decides in advance who will take the penalties. He chose Bruno. I have never been vain; I’ve never wanted to be the top scorer of the tournament. That’s why Bruno took the shot. He executes penalties better than I do, and that’s why Ancelotti picked him. I have never shied away from responsibility,” said Vinicius Junior.
According to Ancelotti, the choice of penalty taker was based on statistical data reflecting players’ success rates from the spot throughout the year. With some of the best penalty takers unavailable, the decision fell to Bruno Guimarães.
“Why didn’t Vinicius Junior take the penalty? We analyzed the statistics, and the best penalty taker is Raphinha. Among the available players, the best option was Neymar, followed by Igor Thiago, and then Bruno Guimarães, so I chose Bruno because I believed he was the best option among those on the field,” Ancelotti stated after the match.
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