Vinicius Junior equaled the club record for the most goals scored by a Brazilian in Real Madrid’s 2-1 defeat to Valencia.
After falling behind to a Mouctar Diakhaby header, Vinicius missed a penalty but quickly redeemed himself by scoring the equalizer shortly after the second half began. However, a last-minute strike from Hugo Duro in the fifth minute of stoppage time handed Madrid a heartbreaking loss.
Despite the overall disappointment, with manager Carlo Ancelotti acknowledging that the defeat severely impacted their La Liga title hopes, there was a silver lining for Vinicius.
The 24-year-old’s goal was his 104th for the club, bringing him level with the legendary Ronaldo for the most goals by a Brazilian in Real Madrid’s history. Vinicius reached the milestone in 307 appearances, though his achievement pales in comparison to Ronaldo’s, who reached the same total in just 177 games.
Vinicius and Ronaldo are the only two Brazilians to have scored over 100 goals for the club, though Rodrygo, with 68 goals, hopes to join them in the coming seasons.
All-time leading Brazilian goalscorers in Real Madrid history: Player Goals Games Ronaldo 104 177 Vinicius Junior 104 307 Rodrygo 68 261 Roberto Carlos 68 527 Marcelo 38 546
