Vinicius Jr. broke the 24-year-old record with a brace vs. Scotland, entered the Golden Boot race and joined Brazil's elite

Brazil’s Vinicius Junior (7) celebrates after scoring his team’s second goal during the World Cup Group C soccer match between Scotland and Brazil in Miami Gardens, Florida, Wednesday, June 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell) Vinícius Júnior continued his excellent campaign at the 2026 FIFA World Cup by writing his name in Brazilian football history during the Seleção’s 3-0 win over Scotland. The Real Madrid forward scored twice in Miami to become the first Brazilian player in 24 years to score in all three World Cup group stage matches, matching the feat last accomplished by Ronaldo Nazário and Rivaldo during Brazil’s triumphant 2002 campaign.The brace also took Vinícius to four goals in the tournament, putting him firmly among the front-runners for the Golden Boot as Brazil advanced to the round of 32 as Group C winners.

Vinícius joins an exclusive list of Brazilian legends

Brazil produced some of the greatest World Cup strikers the game has ever seen, yet only five players managed to score in each of the nation’s three group stage matches in a single tournament.Vinícius has now joined Jairzinho (1970), Romário (1994), Ronaldo (2002) and Rivaldo (2002) on this exclusive list, becoming the first Brazilian in nearly a quarter of a century to reach the milestone.His remarkable consistency was on display throughout Brazil’s group stage campaign. He opened his tournament account by saving a 1-1 draw against Morocco before scoring and adding an assist in Brazil’s comfortable 3-0 win over Haiti. He produced his best performance to date against Scotland, scoring twice to complete the record-breaking sequence.

Scotland punished by Vinícius’ clinical finish

Brazil needed just seven minutes to gain control of Miami. Vinícius pushed Scotland high up the pitch, capitalized on a misplaced pass from Scott McKenna, picked up a loose ball in the penalty area and calmly slotted a low finish past Angus Gunn to give Brazil an early lead.

He thought he had doubled the advantage midway through the first half after another flowing move, only for VAR to rule out a goal due to a foul on Marquinhos during the build-up.The second goal finally came deep into the break of the first half. After Bruno Guimarães recycled possession from a partially clear corner, he delivered an encouraging cross to the far post. Vinícius timed his move perfectly, rising above his marker and heading down past Gunn to put Brazil firmly in command before the break.

Brazil’s Vinicius Junior (7) scores his team’s second goal during the World Cup Group C soccer match between Scotland and Brazil in Miami Gardens, Florida, Wednesday, June 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Matheus Cunha added Brazil’s third goal in the 60th minute to complete the victory, while Neymar returned from injury as a second-half substitute to appear in a World Cup match for the first time since Brazil’s quarter-final defeat by Croatia in Qatar four years ago.

Brazil finished the group stage undefeated

The victory secured top spot in Group C as Brazil finished their group stage unbeaten with seven points, following a 1-1 draw against Morocco and successive 3-0 victories over Haiti and Scotland.Vinícius was central to this run. He scored four goals and provided an assist in three games, taking his total for Brazil to 13 international goals in 52 games.His performances also reshaped the Golden Boot race. Lionel Messi currently leads the tournament with five goals after the match against Austria, while Vinícius moved to four alongside Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland, ensuring the battle for the tournament’s top scorer remains one of the defining stories heading into the knockout stages.Brazil now enter the Round of 32 with significant momentum, with Vinícius becoming the focal point of Carlo Ancelotti’s attack and continuing to rank alongside some of the greatest goalscorers in the Seleção’s World Cup history.