Vinicius Jr. Institute giving away almost R$8 million in 2025: How the Real Madrid star is changing the future of thousands of Brazilian children

From the school where he once studied to more than 30 schools across Brazil, the Vinícius Júnior Institute uses football to open up new educational opportunities for thousands of children. “Football is a dream, but isn’t it wonderful if we can help children get out of poverty by studying?” Vinícius Júnior asked this question in 2021, when he was just 21 years old and was founding an institute to bring football and education to Brazilian public schools. Inspired by the work of LeBron James, Lewis Hamilton and Marcus Rashford, the Real Madrid forward started a project close to home in São Gonçalo. Two years later, he received the Sócrates Award at the 2023 Ballon d’Or ceremony, recognizing his work off the pitch. Five years after the institute was founded, this ambition has grown into an initiative reaching thousands of students, with almost R$8 million invested in its programs in 2025 alone.

Why Vinícius Júnior founded his institute at the age of 21

Vinícius was born in São Gonçalo, a municipality in Rio de Janeiro where opportunities for children from disadvantaged backgrounds can be limited. His own journey to professional football started early, but the work on that journey paid off, especially when he started training with Flamengo at the age of 10 and had to commute around 70 kilometers a day, which affected his education.Soccer eventually opened doors for Vinícius, but his own journey also showed him how difficult it can be for kids from communities like his to access opportunities outside of sports. In an interview with The Guardian in 2021, he explained the ideas behind his initiative: “My first concern was to help these young children achieve more through education. Football is a dream, but isn’t it wonderful if we can help children get out of poverty by studying?” His ambition, he said, was to create lasting change: “We need more doctors, lawyers and engineers to come out of the favelas. We intend to give them opportunities.”

Brazil’s Vinicius Junior (7) gestures before the World Cup Round of 16 soccer match between Brazil and Norway in East Rutherford, N.J., near New York, Sunday, July 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

In October 2021, Vinícius founded the Instituto Vini Jr., funding the initiative himself and starting the project at the school he attended as a child. He had long felt he could do more than football, and the institute gave him a way to put that belief into practice.“There is still a huge literacy gap in Brazil. It’s good that we launched the app in the school where I studied, because I knew what it was like.”For Vinícius, this initiative represented above all a chance to turn this belief into action. “I just thought I could do more and do moreInspired by athletes who have used their platforms to address social inequalities outside of sports, Vinícius looked to LeBron James, Lewis Hamilton and Marcus Rashford as examples of what such a commitment could look like.“I was inspired by what LeBron James, Lewis Hamilton and Marcus Rashford are doing. So I started doing something for my neighborhood first, but who knows if it can grow in Brazil,” said Vinícius. The Guardian in an interview on the occasion of the opening of the institute.James founded a school supporting children through education and other services, Hamilton promoted greater diversity in science and technology, while Rashford campaigned against child food poverty. Vinícius saw examples of how athletes could use their influence and resources to solve problems that extended far beyond their own careers.His idea was to bring this thinking to Brazilian public education, using soccer as a familiar starting point to help children learn and give teachers better tools to engage their students.

How soccer became a teaching tool in Brazilian classrooms

Instituto Vini Jr. it does not operate like a regular soccer academy, as its main purpose is to improve public education through teaching methods that combine technology, physical activity and the language of sport that children already understand.One of its main initiatives is BASE, a gamified educational application designed for primary school students aged 6 to 10 years. The app uses soccer-themed drills, interactive activities and player-inspired imagery to teach core subjects such as math, Portuguese and social studies, while its August 2026 update aligned the program with Brazil’s national curriculum standards.The Institute also works directly with schools through its CT Base Innovation Centers, which provide technology tools, classroom infrastructure and support for teachers adopting digital learning methods. His Mov.A program takes a different route, using movement and physical coordination to help children engage with regular school subjects.These initiatives address a broader problem facing Brazilian education, where access to private education and the resources it can provide remain unequal. The institute works with public school teachers to understand what their students need and then adapts its methods to local realities rather than imposing one approach on every classroom.The organization now says its programs reach more than 10,169 students in more than 30 schools in five Brazilian states, building on earlier work involving around 4,500 students and 500 teachers. Its ambition is to support the 4th UN Sustainable Development Goal, which focuses on quality education, by helping to make public education more efficient and accessible by 2030.

In 2025, almost R$ 8 million was invested with a large project at home

The institute’s most recent financial figures provide a clearer picture of how much of its work goes directly into educational programs. During 2025, it invested R$7,996,294.17, approximately US$1.59 million, allocating 85% of its resources directly to core activities developed with partner schools, teachers and students.In a statement released on August 10, 2026, the institute explained what the assignment means for its work.“In 2025, 85% of Instituto Vini Jr.’s resources were directly allocated to its core activities, contributing to actions developed with partner schools and reaching teachers and students through new teaching and learning methods and strategies.”The statement added that the figures reflect its commitment to transparent and accountable management, with most of its resources directed to initiatives at the core of its mission.Vagner Rocha, head of the institute’s operations, described the satisfaction of seeing these plans become real projects rather than remaining numbers in the budget.“I think that working with finances and seeing the numbers become reality is always very pleasant. We think, we project how things will happen, but to see it in practice, to see the project really come to life, following the whole trajectory of what was planned, is very gratifying,” said Rocha.He also explained why the work becomes more meaningful when it reaches the children themselves.“And when you see the children who participate in our projects benefit from everything that has been conceived, formulated and built with so much hard work and care, it brings more energy and makes the work even more meaningful.”One of Vinícius’ most ambitious projects brings this commitment back to São Gonçalo, where the institute is renovating the former building of the intercultural Brazilian-Russian public school Ciep 040 Porto do Rosa. The Rio de Janeiro state government approved a competitive bidding process that gave the institute the rights to take over the deactivated site in August 2024 after the school remained closed for nearly a decade.The redevelopment includes a reported personal investment of around €3.3 to €3.6 million from Vinícius, with plans to create a free social and cultural center that will bring together educational technology classrooms, sports facilities and common areas. The complex aims to serve more than 5,000 residents, giving the surrounding community access to opportunities that extend far beyond the classroom.

Socrates’ prize and Vinicius’ fight against inequality

The scope of this work helped Vinícius become the first and so far the only Brazilian recipient of the Sócrat Prize, which French football established in 2022 to recognize footballers who make a difference through humanitarian work and community initiatives.He was honored at the 2023 Ballon d’Or ceremony, where he spoke about what the institute means to him and why he wants to continue to expand its reach.“I am very happy to receive this award and help many children in Brazil. I had a small chance to get to where I came, so it is my pleasure to help as many children as possible to have a chance.”His work also covers the fight against racism, an issue that Vinícius faced during his career as a black Brazilian footballer playing in Europe. The institute operates an anti-racism office that provides institutional support, educational workshops and advice on accessing pro bono legal aid in discrimination-related cases.In 2024, Vinícius was also named a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Education for All, becoming only the second Brazilian footballer after Pelé to receive this honor.The recognition follows a project that started with one young footballer funding an idea in his neighborhood and has since grown into a network supporting thousands of children. For Vinícius, the goal remains linked to the problem he recognized as a boy in São Gonçalo: to give children access to opportunities that allow them to imagine a future outside of the circumstances they were born into.