Is Vinicius the strongest player in this World Cup? The data doesn’t lie.

Vinicius scored in all three group-stage matches, contributing 4 goals and 1 assist. In the opening match against Morocco, he forced a breakthrough with his individual skill to level the score. In the second match against Haiti, he scored twice. In the final group match against Scotland, he found the net again to seal the result.

He has become the third player in Brazil’s history to score in all of the first three group-stage matches of a single World Cup. The previous two were Ronaldo (2002) and Adriano (2006). And he is not only a goalscorer—he is also an attacking organizer. Averaging 3.2 successful dribbles and 2.4 key passes per game, these numbers rank in the top three among all players in the Round of 32.

Japan’s right-sided defense will be handled jointly by Ko Itakura, who plays for Borussia Mönchengladbach, and wing-back Hiroki Ito. Both are over 1.85 meters tall, and when facing Vinicius’s pace and ability to change direction, the weakness of slow turning could be magnified endlessly. If Vinicius can open up a gap on the left side, Japan’s five-at-the-back defensive system will be forced to tilt toward the left, creating space for Brazil’s central and right-side play.

Whether Vinicius can carry his hot form from the group stage forward will be the key to whether Brazil can advance smoothly.

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