Vinicius Jr criticised the quality of the pitches and referees at the Copa America in a harsh speech directed at the organisers, COMNEBOL, after Brazil’s 4-1 victory over Paraguay.
The Real Madrid winger scored twice during Friday’s game in Las Vegas to leave Brazil two points behind Group D leaders Colombia and on course to reach the quarter-finals.
“The Copa América is always difficult because of the fields, because of the referees, who always go against us, and because of the way CONMEBOL treats people,” the 23-year-old said after his man-of-the-match performance. . .
“It’s always difficult, but we have to stay strong. We can only talk when we win. When we talk, CONMEBOL says we talk too much.
Vinicius, who faced criticism for Brazil’s disappointing start to the Copa America, was not the only prominent figure to voice discontent over the state of the tournament’s pitches, three years after the United States was a partial host of the 2026 World Cup.
Brazilian Vinicius Júnior wants to improve the quality of American fields ahead of the 2026 World Cup
Argentine coach Lionel Scaloni also lamented the quality of the surface at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium after Lionel Messi & Co. faced Canada in the Copa America opener, saying the pitch was “not suitable for this type of player.”
Argentine goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez described the pitch as a “disaster.”
Vinicius, hailed by Brazilian coach Dorival Jr for his “nearly perfect” performance against Paraguay, was not remembered favourably by his opponents after scoring a brace.
Argentine Lionel Scaloni also complained about the surfaces on which the Copa América was played
“(Vinicius) has a way of playing that is not easy for rivals to accept,” said Paraguayan coach Daniel Garnero.
“That’s why the referee is there… the referee has to impose those limits,” he added in an attack on the Copa América leaders.
Brazil will face Colombia in a clash that will decide who wins Group D, while Paraguay have already been eliminated ahead of their final group game against Costa Rica.
Costa Rica can advance with a win over Paraguay, a loss to Brazil and a six-goal comeback between the two teams to finish with more goals scored than Brazil. So far, Brazil has scored four goals. Costa Rica has not scored.
