Brazil star Vinicius Junior feared he would miss the World Cup through injury as opponents targeted him with tougher tackles ahead of the tournament.
The Real Madrid winger is the most fouled player in La Liga this season, but he believes the tackles were made harsher in an attempt to injure him and team-mate Rodrygo and damage their chances of qualifying for Qatar this year.
What happens on the field stays on the field, but it went too far,” Vinicius told Reuters.
“You can grow strong, but they were dangerous. Rodrygo and I suffered a lot in those last games and we feared the worst, to get injured and miss the World Cup. When you start to become an important player, rivals come after you, you have to learn to deal with that.
I learned a lot from Neymar when he played for Barcelona, he also suffered a lot. Cristiano [Ronaldo], when he played for Real, also suffered a lot. But it was Karim [Benzema] who told me to stay calm and have peace of mind because if rivals are chasing you, it’s because you’re relevant, because they fear you. So when I get the ball and burst forward, I get a revenge. Yes, I can get hurt. But I am prepared for the challenge”, Vini said, among other things.
We remind you that Brazil is in Group G, for the World Cup, with Switzerland, Cameroon and Serbia./
