Vinicius Junior says he “needed a bit of confidence” after going seven games without a goal before scoring in Brazil’s comeback against Australia in an action-packed international friendly in Brisbane on Tuesday.
Striker Vinicius Junior’s only previous goal this season had been for Real Madrid in a 4-1 home win over Real Sociedad. The League on August 26, with his penalty 10 minutes from time against the Socceroos, the 26-year-old’s first in four internationals.
Vini Jr finally gets his goal with a perfect penalty! ✨
The Real Madrid star selects the bottom corner, leaving Patrick Beach with no chance 🎯
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“Bruno is the one who takes penalties for us when (Raphinha) is not there and I thought I wanted to take him.” Vinicius Junior he told SporTV, explaining why he had targeted the Arsenal midfielder before converting the spot-kick for the final goal in the 4-2 win.
“But he knows I needed a bit of confidence. It’s been a few games since the last goal I scored, but it’s important to score again and important to play with our national team again.
“Now is the time to rest these next few days and travel to India (for a friendly on Saturday), because our fan base is huge and they are waiting for us.”
Bruno Guimarães brings Brazil back to the top! 🇧🇷
The Arsenal midfielder gets his fourth international goal, finishing off a pinpoint pass from Endrick 👏
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Australia vs Brazil: Raphinha ‘was the penalty taker’
selection Head coach Carlo Ancelotti saw Raphinha score the first of Brazil’s two penalties, equalizing in the 45th minute after Vanderson had given the visitors an early lead, but Alessandro Circati’s strike and Connor Metcalfe’s long-range goal had put Australia 2-1 ahead.
“Refinha he was the penalty taker and he scored the first one,” said Ancelotti, also referring to Bruno Guimaraes’ arrival at the end of a good team move to put Brazil 3-2 ahead in the 69th minute.
“Bruno was the second but Bruno had already scored, so I think Vini deserved to score. He took the penalty well.”
Raphinha, who is La Liga’s top scorer with 12 goals this season for Barcelona, was replaced at half-time by Endrick, who set up Bruno Guimaraes’ goal.
Brazil said Raphinha had been substituted due to muscle discomfort.
Ice cream from the place by Raphinha 🥶
The FC Barcelona star equalizes the score for Brazil with a clinical penalty 🎯
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Vinicius Junior’s penalty “the best for Brazil”
The Gunners’ £75m new signing Guimaraes suggested the situation over the penalty reflected a set of Brazilian players who “have no ego”.
“In a (previous) game, Ancelotti told me to take it,” said the 28-year-old, who spoke last week of his lingering pain at saving a penalty in Brazil’s 2-1 last-16 exit in Norway at the 2026 World Cup.
“Today he told Vini to take it. Vini also had to score a goal… he stepped up and took it really well. We want the best for Brazil, that’s what matters to us.
“I’m happy for him and for the game we played.”
Alessandro Circati levels it for CommBank @socceroos after some VAR confusion! 🔥
His flick went perfectly into the back of the net for Australia’s first of the night, with replays showing he wasn’t offside! 💪
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— Paramount+ Australia (@ParamountPlusAU) September 29, 2026
Bruno Guimaraes: Brazil “on a new path”
Brazil, the record one-time world champions, have been criticized for their performance in the finals, which included falling behind in a draw with Morocco and going first against Japan in the last 32 before securing a last-gasp victory.
The tournament was Ancelotti’s first as a national coach. The Italian made his debut this time with 20-year-old goalkeeper Otavio following a 1-1 draw with Australia four days earlier in which Rayan equalized for the visitors in the 94th minute.
“It’s the beginning of a new journey for us,” Guimaraes said. “A lot of people want immediate results and we really understand the fans because they are suffering and suffering, and so are we because of everything that has happened.
WHAT A STRIKE BY CONNOR METCALFE! 🚀
CommBank’s hero @socceroosThe first match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup is back, with Australia coming out on top! 🔥
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“The first match (against Australia) was not good at all, not at all what we expected. Today we came with a new strategy.
“But beyond the system we play, whether it’s 4–3–3 or 4–2–4, we as players also have to take responsibility to perform better.
“In the first game the pitch made it very difficult for us, today the pitch was a bit better and we did better and were able to keep the ball more.
“We also have to point out that today we changed seven players from the last game, so it’s a developing team, we know we have to give an answer.
“Anyone who loves the Brazilian national team will be happy with the result and the performance. It was good. It can be better, but it shows that we are on the right track, or so I hope.”
Brazil have started fast in Brisbane ⚡️🇧🇷
Vanderson gets his first goal for the Seleção, scoring into the top corner in three minutes 🎯
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Brazil selection against Australia
Danilo Santos, Guimaraes, Raphinha and Vinicius Junior were the only players retained in Brazil’s squad from the draw four days earlier.
Santos midfielder Gabriel Bontempo also made his debut and PSV winger Mauro Junior received a bow, having come off the bench in the opener against Australia.
Brazil: Otavio, Vanderson, Jair Cunha, Gabriel Magalhaes, Mauro Junior, Gabriel Bontemp, Bruno Guimaraes, Danilo Santos, Rayan, Raphinha, Vinicius Junior
Substitutes: Hugo Souza, Marquinhos, Douglas Santos, Endrick, Willian Estevao, Matheuzinho, Vitor Reis, Arthur Dias, Breno Bidon, Douglas Luiz, Pedro, Matheus Martinelli, Andrey Santos, Samuel Lino, Pedro Morisco
Australia vs Brazil friendly statistics
- Australia’s only win against Brazil is a 1-0 win in the Confederations Cup third-place match in Ulsan in June 2001, Shaun Murphy scoring the goal in the 84th minute.
- More than four hours and four minutes of football had passed between that goal and the next one against Brazil through Irankunda
- Six of the previous nine meetings between the teams had resulted in Brazil winning by a clean sheet, including each of the previous three before last week’s 1-1 draw.
- By scoring those first-half goals in Brisbane, Australia doubled their all-time tally against Brazil and scored twice in a game against the Selecao for the first time.
- Each of their previous three games had finished on aggregate after 90 minutes, four without a win since their 2-0 win against Turkey during the World Cup group stage on June 13.
- This was the only occasion in their last seven matches that Australia had scored more than one goal in a game, since a 5-1 win over Curacao in the FIFA Series in Melbourne on 31 March.
- Twenty-two of the previous 24 goals in the game had been scored by Brazil, including five for the game’s all-time top scorer Romario.
- While a player at Crystal Palace, Popovic spent time learning from current Brazil manager Carlo Ancelotti while the Italian was on his way to Milan.
- Brazil have scored in 15 consecutive games since their 1-0 loss to Bolivia in September 2025 World Cup qualifying, although they had scored exactly once in three of their previous four games.
- Including that goal, Raphinha has 15 goals in 10 games in La Liga, Champions League and Brazil games since the start of the season.
