As Brazil intensifies its preparations for the upcoming World Cup, forward Vinicius Jr expressed a renewed sense of happiness and confidence on Wednesday, aiming to translate his Real Madrid success to the national stage. 

Speaking ahead of Thursday's friendly with France, the 25-year-old winger acknowledged the team's focus on building momentum with the World Cup approaching. 

"We are prepared and focused on playing an excellent game, because the World Cup is very close, so any result or any goal you score will give you more confidence for the World Cup, and we are prepared for that," Vinicius said. 

He also highlighted the respect Brazil commands from opponents, referencing conversations with his Real Madrid teammates. 

"Kylian Mbappe, Aurelien Tchouameni, Eduardo Camavinga always say that playing against Brazil is excellent, that we have an excellent team, that's what the world says about us," Vinicius added. "Of course we are not the favorites, but we don't want to be either… we want to play a great game tomorrow in the friendly, continue gaining confidence, and better understand how our game plan will be."
 

Vinicius's club season has been one of contrast. After a difficult start to the 2025-26 campaign that included a 16-match goal drought and boos from sections of the Bernabeu crowd, he has since rediscovered his rhythm. He has recorded 17 goals and 13 assists in 43 appearances across all competitions for Real Madrid this season. 

Despite a decorated club career that features two Champions League titles and three LaLiga championships, Vinicius has scored only eight goals in 45 appearances for five-time world champions Brazil. With his second World Cup on the horizon, he is determined to convert his club success into international silverware. 

Brazil is seeking to bounce back from a quarter-final exit at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where they were eliminated on penalties by Croatia. Vinicius said he is blocking out external noise as the tournament draws closer. 

Meanwhile, Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti addressed the absence of Neymar from the squad, emphasizing the subjective nature of football decisions. 

"I observe everything, I listen to everything, then, given my role, I have to make decisions," Ancelotti said. "But it's normal in football for everyone to have an opinion, because there's no university in football, so everyone can have an opinion, and I think it's right to have an opinion about football, because there's no clear science to it. In football, you can have an opinion on many things: whether someone plays well, whether they play badly, whether a player is good or not."

Brazil is set to play a friendly match with France on Thursday as part of their ongoing preparations.