Ancelotti believes Vinicius would be more efficient playing as a center forward.

2025-11-15 03:36

Brazil, the "Samba Army," will face Senegal in a friendly match. Head coach Carlo Ancelotti stated that he believes Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr. can be highly effective in the center forward position, and he also hopes that the players can perform well in positions where they feel comfortable.

So far in the 2025/26 La Liga season, the 25-year-old Vinicius has scored 5 goals and provided 4 assists for Xabi Alonso's team.

Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti said, "I think Vinicius can play as a winger or a center forward. He has the ability to score a lot of goals, and I told him that when he plays as a winger, it takes three or four dribbles and seven or eight touches to score. But if he's in the center, a well-timed move is enough to score."

“He understands that, and he likes playing in that position. I won’t force any player to play in a position they don’t want to play; I want them to perform well in positions where they feel comfortable. In Vinicius’s case, it’s not about tactics; it’s more of a personal issue.”

In addition, Vinicius said in an interview, "Under Ancelotti's leadership, we are constantly improving and have established a clear game philosophy. Finding this balance before the World Cup is crucial. We all need to get into the World Cup mindset and understand that our opportunity has arrived."

"The coach does the same thing everywhere: gives players confidence and lets each player perform at their best in their most suitable position. He always says that his dream is to make the Brazilian people happy, to let us rediscover the joy that belongs to Brazilian football, and to win the World Cup."

Vinicius also emphasized, "He gave us calm and confidence, and he reminded us that we have the passion and intensity to fight for this jersey, which is the hardest part. We just need to win so that his efforts will be recognized."