Vinicius Júnior Joins Elite Group of Brazilian First World Cup Goal Scorers

Vinicius Júnior has secured his place among Brazil's football legends by scoring the national team's first goal in a World Cup edition, specifically noted for the 2026 FIFA World Cup cycle. This accomplishment aligns him with an exclusive group of players who have historically netted Brazil's inaugural goal in a World Cup tournament.

Notable names on this list include Zagallo (1962), Pelé (1966), Romário (1994), and Ronaldo (2002). Leônidas da Silva and Sócrates are the only two players to appear on this list twice, scoring Brazil's first goals in 1934 and 1938, and 1982 and 1986, respectively.

Beyond this historical milestone, Vini Jr. has established a record for Brazil's national team in the current cycle, accumulating 14 goal involvements. He also reached his 10th goal for Brazil in his 50th international match.

Historically, Brazil's first goal scorers in previous World Cup editions include: * **1930 Uruguay:** Preguinho * **1934 Italy:** Leônidas da Silva * **1938 France:** Leônidas da Silva * **1950 Brazil:** Ademir de Menezes * **1954 Switzerland:** Baltazar * **1958 Sweden:** Mazzola * **1962 Chile:** Zagallo * **1966 England:** Pelé * **1970 Mexico:** Rivellino * **1974 West Germany:** Jairzinho * **1978 Argentina:** Reinaldo * **1982 Spain:** Sócrates * **1986 Mexico:** Sócrates * **1990 Italy:** Careca * **1994 USA:** Romário * **1998 France:** César Sampaio * **2002 South Korea and Japan:** Ronaldo * **2006 Germany:** Kaká * **2010 South Africa:** Maicon * **2014 Brazil:** Neymar * **2018 Russia:** Philippe Coutinho * **2022 Qatar:** Richarlison

(Source: Yahoo Sports Soccer)