Imagine you are an 18-year-old who loves soccer from the bottom of your heart and leaves your country to find more ways to develop your skills, through more opportunities. Well, that’s the real story of 24-year-old Vinicius José Paixao de Oliveira Junior, also known as Vinicius Jr, who left Brazil at the age of 18, and the rest is history. Now, the Real Madrid forward needs no introduction.
Considered as one of the best soccer players in the world, Vinicius Jr’s grit helped him conquer everything through a lot of hard work, sacrifices, and implementing learnings from his parents. People know much about his soccer life, but fans are curious to know more about the people behind this success. Let’s dive in.
Who is Vinicius Jr’s father?
We know the struggles Vinicius Jr. has been through. From leaving his own home to being subjected to racism in Spain. But he never backed down. Vini Jr. had always fought against odds which he learned from his father. Vinicius Jr.’s father is José Paixao de Oliveira, who has been a cornerstone in Vinicius Jr’s life. According to many sources, Vinicius’ father was the first person to identify his soccer talent. Vini Jr.’s father, José Paixão de Oliveira, made sure he excelled in soccer.
Credit: Instagram.com/ Vinicius Jr
Vinicius Jr.’s father introduced him to Flamengo’s youth academy when he was just six. There, he learned proper soccer techniques to compete at the international level. And after 12 years of hard work, Vinicius Jr. took a flight to Spain and joined Real Madrid at the age of 18 following his performance at the South American U-17 Championship. His fearlessness helped him dribble through a lot of uncertainties of life. But just as his father contributed to the making of Vinicius Jr.’s success, his mother also plays a huge role in the making of the star that he is today. In fact, she was where it all began.
Who is Vinicius Jr’s mother?
Tatiana Vinicius is Vinicius Jr.’s mother, and she has been a true lighthouse in his life. We all know moms are the real heroes of our lives, but in Vini Jr’s life, Tatiana has been a true guide as well. Like his father, Vini Jr.’s mother also nurtured his soccer skills. According to BBN Times, Tatiana used to take Vinicius Jr to Futsal classes, that helped him grow his game.
In 2024, Vini Jr talked about his parents and his early struggles, “When my parents wanted to register me at Flamengo youth academy, they had no money, but because they wanted me to succeed by all means, my dad asked his friend for a loan, and he agreed, but on the condition that my mum would clean his house every weekend. My dad got upset and said no but when he told us, my mum didn’t hesitate, she went straight to the man’s house and cleaned everywhere in order to get the loan so I could register but my dad wasn’t buying the idea because he felt insulted and bullied by his own friend but he had no choice because my future was more important than his ego at that time, so he joined my mum to clean his friend’s house every weekend until he was able to pay back the money he borrowed. In Brazil, many talents are wasted because they don’t have the money to push their talents. My parents made my dream a reality, they are the real winners”.
Vinicius Jr. was piqued by curiousity to know his ethnic roots. He took a DNA test and discovered that his ancestral roots were from the Tikar people in Cameroon. Post this discovery, Vini Jr. has devoted his focus on the upliftment of his community people and has been a consistent voice against racism.
What Nationality Are Vinicius Jr.’s Parents?
Vinicius Jr.’s parents are Brazilians. They both live in São Gonçalo, which is located nearest to the picturesque city of Rio de Janeiro. But Guanabara Bay divides the land. This is also the place where Vinicius Jr attended Bible school through where he draws his faith. Since then, neither his faith nor his parents have left him alone and his journey to become the greatest remains undeterred.
Credit: Instagram,com/Vinicius Jr.
Vinicius has won three La Liga championships with Real Madrid in which Vinicius Jr contributed to two winning goals. He was also the runner-up for The Ballon d’Or in 2024. This underdog story is more than inspirational. But this is surely not the peak. The 24-year-old has yet to achieve more accolades.
The post Who Are Vinicius Jr’s Parents? Everything to Know About Jose Paixao de Oliveira and Tatiana Vinicius appeared first on EssentiallySports.