Real Madrid: José Mourinho emphasizes the importance of Vinicius' contract extension

After lengthy negotiations, Vinicius Jr has officially extended his contract with Real Madrid until 2032. A huge relief for José Mourinho.

The Portuguese manager expressed his immense pride after Vinicius Junior committed his long-term future to Real Madrid. The Brazilian star had been strongly linked with a sensational transfer to Arsenal before putting pen to paper on a massive new deal at the Santiago Bernabéu.

Read also: Real Madrid: Yan Diomandé's new number revealed

Speaking to the media after a 2-1 preseason victory against Ferencvaros, José Mourinho underlined just how vital this extension is for Real Madrid's stability. "The most important thing is Vinicius' extension. It's a great joy for him, obviously, but also for us. He barely trained before our last friendly against Ferencvaros (2-1), he was tired when he came on, so I didn't expect to see him pick up the ball and dribble 50 meters before scoring a goal (smiles). It's a process. He'll be even better in the next match, and then better again after that.", Mourinho said.

Mourinho was also quick to temper expectations regarding Vinicius Jr's current form after a busy summer at the 2026 World Cup. "Vini has had very few training sessions. I didn't expect him to grab the ball, run 50 meters with it and score a goal today—his legs are still heavy and tired. He'll definitely be in a better situation next Wednesday, and then the following Sunday.", the coach explained.

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.

Related teams and leagues

Real Madrid