Vinicius slams critics after FIFA Best triumph
Vinicius Junior hit out at his critics for continuing "to try to cancel me, to belittle me", after he was named the men's player of the year at the FIFA Best Awards in Doha.
The Real Madrid and Brazil forward landed the accolade after a wonderful 2023-2024 season, during which he scored a career-high 24 goals and helped Los Blancos win LaLiga and the UEFA Champions League.
It comes seven weeks after he missed out on the Ballon d'Or to Manchester City and Spain midfielder Rodri, with the 24-year-old and Madrid subsequently boycotting the ceremony.
Vinicius, who joined from Flamengo in 2018, has frequently been subjected to racial abuse in Spain over the past two seasons, and was pleased to prove his doubters wrong.
"I came, I saw, I won," he wrote on Instagram. "Today, I write this for that boy who saw so many idols lift that trophy…your time has come.
"That is, my time has come. The time to state that, yes, I am the best player in the world and I fought a lot to get here."
"They tried and continue to try to cancel me, to belittle me. But they're not able to," he added.
"Nobody is going to tell me for whom I can fight, or how I should behave. When I was in [hometown] Sao Goncalo, the system didn't work for me. I was almost swallowed up.
"I won for me, for my family. With a lot of support along the way: Flamengo, Real Madrid, the Brazilian national team, hundreds of my fellow players during those years…the people who share with me my daily routine, who admire me…the best player in the world."
