Dance, Vini: Real’s No 7 now Brazil’s second top UCL scorer

Vinícius Júnior’s Tuesday-night strike against Benfica did more than secure three points for Real Madrid; it rewrote a slice of Champions League history. The 25-year-old’s 31st goal in the competition lifts him past Kaká and into sole possession of second place on Brazil’s all-time scoring chart, leaving only Neymar’s 43 goals ahead of him.

Remarkably, every one of Vini Jr.’s 31 goals has come in the white of Madrid, compiled across 77 European appearances. Among the Seleção’s top ten marksmen in the tournament, only Rodrygo (26 goals) and Firmino (22) share the one-club distinction.

The updated Brazilian leaderboard:

1. Neymar – 43 goals in 81 games (Barcelona 22, PSG 21) 2. Vinícius Júnior – 31 goals in 77 games (Real Madrid 31) 3. Kaká – 30 goals in 86 games (Milan 25, Real Madrid 5) 4. Rivaldo – 27 goals in 73 games (Barcelona 22, Milan 2, Olympiacos 3) 5. Rodrygo – 26 goals in 69 games (Real Madrid 26) 6. Gabriel Jesus – 26 goals in 54 games (Manchester City 20, Arsenal 6) 7. Jardel – 25 goals in 46 games (Porto 19, Galatasaray 6) 8. Élber – 24 goals in 69 games (Bayern 21, Lyon 3) 9. Firmino – 22 goals in 57 games (Liverpool 22) 10. Luiz Adriano – 21 goals in 47 games (Shakhtar 20, Spartak Moscow 1)

Already a two-time European champion with Madrid (2021-22 and 2023-24), Vinícius scored in the 2022 final and was crowned Player of the Season in 2024. Through the opening months of the current campaign, he has tallied 11 goals and 9 assists in all competitions, keeping Madrid on course for another deep continental run.