2026 World Cup - Brazil: Vinicius Jr in tears before facing Japan

29.06.26 FT World Cup

Brazil

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Japan

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As Brazil gets ready to take on Japan in the round of 16 of this 2026 World Cup, Vinícius Jr experienced a deeply emotional moment on the show Domingão com Huck.

The Brazilian forward couldn't hold back his tears as he spoke about his grandmother, a central figure in his life to whom he is deeply attached. A video clip dedicated to her was shown. The segment brought back intimate memories from his childhood and his journey to the top.

Visibly moved, Vinicius explained the importance of this family presence in his personal development: “She is a very special person because my father was always away, so I always had my mother, my brothers and sisters, and my grandmother. The house was small, so I used to sleep at her place for several days in a row. I’m speechless, she changed my life. I know people’s time is limited, so I cherish every moment with her. They did everything so my dream could come true. Seeing her happy is priceless.”

Joshua SOSSOU

Editorfr, en, ar

As a sports fan, and particularly a football fan, I've been putting my writing talent to good use for a number of years now to promote African talent and the continent's football in general. On Foot Africa, enjoy reading each of my lines.

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