From poverty to prestige: FIFA's Best Vinicius’ unstoppable rise

"I don't even know where to start. It was so far away that it seemed impossible to get here. I was a kid who only played football barefoot on the streets of São Gonçalo, close to poverty and crime. Getting here is something very important to me." This was part of what Vinicius Jr said after he was crowned The Best FIFA Men's Player for 2024 in Doha, Qatar, on Tuesday.

He was more restrained than usual, moved by the honor. But we know that when Vinicius Jr steps onto the pitch, it is impossible not to see in his game the joy of a kid who has always made the game his greatest passion. From Sao Goncalo, in the metropolitan region of Rio de Janeiro, until he was named The Best, a lot has changed, but the talent and radiant smile have always been there.

While Vinicius leaves a trail of victims in the world's grandest stadiums today, the story was no different in his early days, even on smaller stages. That's according to Cacau, director of Escolinha Fla in the Real Madrid star's hometown, who worked with him from the age of five to ten.

"When we took him to some tournaments between the ages of eight and nine, we realised he had something special," recalled the former coach in an interview with FIFA. "Even his opponents would say that to mark Vini, you need a motorbike!"

For the family, these were the first positive signs from a boy who had thrown himself into football at an early age.

"We were certain he'd become a footballer because of everything he did, his dedication and his talent, because he lived and breathed it 24 hours a day, but we had no idea what level he'd reach," said Ulysses, Vinicius's uncle.

A similar impression was had by Carlos Noval, director of youth football at Flamengo between 2010 and 2018. It didn't take him long to see just how extraordinary young Vinicius was.

"The first time I saw him on the pitch, at the training ground, he already stood out," he recalled. "You looked at that boy and knew that there was something very precious and special about him. Because of his personality, because of everything he showed, at just ten years of age. We had no doubt that this was a talent who could become one of Flamengo's best players. And then it was just a matter of polishing him and seeing how far he could go."

But for this rough diamond to be polished, Vinicius had to travel a long road. After joining Flamengo's academy in his hometown, he had the chance to take a trial at the club. He got through, and then faced the challenge of travelling around 50 kilometres a day to pursue his dream of playing football.

"Transport was a real issue for him because it's a long way from Sao Goncalo to the Ninho do Urubu (Vulture's Nest) training ground," said Ulysses, who eventually provided a second home to Vinicius because his house was closer.

"It was always this mad rush of training, school, and back home. After a while, he started staying at my house because he couldn't keep juggling school in Sao Goncalo with training in Vargem Grande anymore."

Everything really started to change in 2017. Called up to play in the South American U-17 Championship, he was the tournament's top scorer, best player, and a champion, drawing all the eyes of the footballing world towards him.

It didn't take long for Real Madrid to come up with the winning bid in the global race to sign him. In May of that year, just days before making his professional debut for Flamengo, Vinicius was sold to the Spanish club.

Since then, his life has transformed. He has won the UEFA Champions League twice, the FIFA Club World Cup™, La Liga three times, played in the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, and, most recently, been named The Best FIFA Men's Player.

However, Ulysses can still see the child who crossed cities to play football.

"He's still the same person. The same joy he has today when waking up to train at Real Madrid is the same joy that he had waking up at 6:00 to take the bus to Flamengo. When he's doing what he loves most, which is playing football, you see the best version of him. That's who he is, and anyone who knows him knows that his smile is his greatest trademark."

Acclaim from rivals

Among the many special Vinicius moments witnessed by Noval, two stand out in his memory.

The first was advice he received from several scouts after watching Vinicius "tear up the competition" in the Copa Votorantim, a U-15 national tournament in Brazil.

"They came to me and said to look after him off the pitch, his mentality, because on the pitch they'd never seen anything like him at that age," he recalled.

The second was in 2016, in the U-17 Rio de Janeiro Championship final against Vasco da Gama. In the first leg, Flamengo won 4-0, with a goal and a stellar performance from Vinicius. The forward received the ball on the left wing, as usual, and decided to show off all of his talent which even impressed players from the rival club.

"Vasco's professional team had been training earlier and were all standing behind the goal watching. When Vinicius pulled off a rainbow flick, they all applauded and laughed; they were amazed."

In the return leg of the final, he scored two more goals (one directly from a corner) and led a 6-1 rout to claim the title.

A strength rooted in his upbringing

Vinicius' talent is undeniable, but his personality is perhaps the most important factor in getting him to where he is today. Not just because of his constant desire to improve, which has resulted in his noticeable progress each year with Real Madrid, but because of how he views the game.

"Vinicius was a lad who'd go into matches, miss the first, second and third chances, but try the fourth and fifth, and then score," said Noval. "Off the pitch, he's a boy who spreads joy wherever he goes."

The football director's words echo the memories of Ulysses and the smile of Vinicius, now the best player in the world.

"I think it comes from the struggles he went through in childhood and the upbringing his parents gave him. They had nothing but they managed to raise him in an extraordinary way. The energy of that family is impressive and it makes him even more special."