Vinicius Jr. Stays at Real Madrid, Rejects Saudi Move

Vinicius Jr. will not be moving to Saudi Arabia. At least, not soon.

Despite reports that the 24-year-old Brazilian winger was set for a big-money move to the Middle East, he has today reiterated his desire to stay at Spanish giants Real Madrid.

Today, he spoke at a press conference before Real Madrid’s UEFA Champions League round of 16 tie with Atletico Madrid on Tuesday. When asked about his contract situation at Real Madrid, he said: “I am very calm, I have a contract until 2027 and I am hoping to renew it as quickly as possible. Everyone loves me very much. I couldn’t be in a better place than here.

“I am here to continue the story, everything that the president and the club has given me. My dream as a child was to get here. I hope I can continue scoring more goals and playing more games with the shirt. I have won [many trophies], but I can win much more and go down in history of this club with so many legends.”

Vini Jr. has been a sensation ever since his 45 million Euro move to Los Blancos. Since he joined, he won two La Liga titles, two Champions League titles, one Copa del Rey, and two Spanish Super Cups. On an individual level, he was named the Best FIFA Men’s Player in 2024 and came 2nd in the Ballon d’Or voting.

The 2024/25 season hasn’t quite been the Ballon d’Or-worthy campaign of last season, where he controversially lost out to Manchester City midfielder Rodri. This season, he trails behind odds-on favorites Mohamed Salah and teammate Kylian Mbappe for the prize. He is currently tied for 10th in La Liga for most goals scored with nine.

Real Madrid is 3rd in the La Liga table but is only three points behind leaders Barcelona. They have lost ground in the title race recently, winning only one in their last five La Liga games. Of course, they are a different beast in the Champions League, and they will look to defend their title against their cross-town rival Atletico Madrid in the two-legged round of 16 tie starting Tuesday.