Real Madrid might have come up short against Arsenal in the Champions League, but Vinícius Júnior's lone goal etched his name in the club's history books.
For the first time in over 20 years, Real Madrid crashed out of the Champions League in the quarterfinals. The Gunners ended Los Blancos' European title defense with two impressive performances at the Emirates and the Santiago Bernabéu. In fact, Arsenal held Real Madrid to just one goal in 180 minutes of soccer.
It was Vinícius Júnior who finally broke the deadlock for Real Madrid in the 67th minute of the second leg. The goal was not nearly enough to mount a comeback against Arsenal, but it was enough to make club history.
The Brazilian joined Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Raúl as the only four players in Real Madrid history to record 50 goal contributions in the Champions League. At age 24, Vinícius Júnior now has 29 goals and 21 assists in the competition, along with two Champions League titles.
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Check out where Vinícius Júnior sits among the three club legends in terms of Champions League scoring:
Vinícius Júnior still has a long way to go before he reaches the heights of Ronaldo, Benzema and Raúl in the Champions League. Still, he is leading the next generation of Real Madrid players on Europe's grandest stage.
The winger finished the 2024–25 season as Real Madrid's leading goalscorer in the Champions League with eight goals in 12 appearances. Vinícius Júnior's goal against Arsenal was also his 105th career goal for Real Madrid, making him the club's all-time leading Brazilian goalscorer; Ronaldo Nazário only managed 104 goals in his time in white.
Although Real Madrid's Champions League campaign ended earlier than expected, Ancelotti will still need Vinícius Júnior at his best to salvage the season. Real Madrid trail Barcelona by four points in the La Liga title race and are set to clash with the Catalans in the Copa del Rey final.
The pressure will be on Vinícius Júnior to help Real Madrid secure some silverware or else the season will be remembered as a complete failure.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Vinicius Junior Joins Real Madrid Legends With Historic Champions League Feat.
