(VIDEO) Vinicius only thinks Copa America, what he said about the tournament that gets him close to his 1st Ballon D’or

The Brazilian national team is currently preparing for their friendly matches ahead of the Copa America this summer, and one of their star players, Vinicius Jr., is already in the camp. Just last week, the Brazilian star was playing at Wembley Stadium in the Champions League Final against Borussia Dortmund. Vinicius scored in the 2-0 win for Real Madrid and got closer to his first Ballon d’Or award. He could confirm the prestigious award if he wins the Copa America with Brazil this summer and becomes a key player for his national team. Vinicius spoke about Copa America and said, “I never won a title with the Brazilian national team, but hopefully the time is now. We have prepared very well for this moment with a generation that is very strong to win big things with the national team.”

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Vinicius Jr. was close to winning a trophy with the senior Brazilian national team in the last Copa America in 2021. Brazil was the runners-up in the tournament as they lost 1-0 to Argentina in the final at the Maracana. Angel Di Maria’s goal in the 22nd minute was enough for Argentina to win the Copa America that year, which was the first for Lionel Messi. Vinicius Jr. played in the final as he came on as a substitute in the 63rd minute.

Vinicius Jr. is now seen as the main star of Brazil’s national team, as Neymar is out due to an injury he suffered last October. Vini had made 28 appearances for the national team, and he had scored three goals and provided four assists. His national team debut was in 2019 in a 1-0 loss against Peru. His last game for Brazil was in a friendly match against Spain that ended 3-3 in the Santiago Bernabeu a few months back.

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The Copa America for Brazil

Before the Copa America starts, Brazil will have two friendly matches in the upcoming days. Brazil will play against Mexico on Saturday at Kyle Field. Then, on June 12th, Brazil will play against the United States at the Camping World Stadium. The Copa America tournament starts on June 20th, but Brazil’s first game will be on June 24th.

Brazil is in Group D with Colombia, Paraguay, and Costa Rica. Brazil’s first opponents will be against Costa Rica on June 24th at SoFi Stadium. On June 28th, Brazil will play Paraguay at the Allegiant Stadium. Their last group stage game will be against Colombia on July 2nd at Levi’s Stadium. If Brazil makes it out of their group, their opponents in the quarterfinals will come from Group C, which includes USA, Uruguay, Panama, and Bolivia. This is the 48th edition of the Copa America, and Brazil has won nine in its history. Brazil are among the favorites to win this year and will look to lift their 10th in its history.