Vinicius Júnior, recently crowned the winner of The Best FIFA Men’s Player award, was absent from Real Madrid’s match against Sevilla at the Santiago Bernabéu on Sunday. The Brazilian winger missed the game due to an accumulation of yellow cards, which granted him a rare opportunity to step away from his demanding football schedule.
With approval from his coach, Carlo Ancelotti, Vinicius decided to take a brief break in Miami, Florida. On his first day, the Miami Dolphins confirmed through their social media channels that the Real Madrid star attended an NFL game at Hard Rock Stadium. The match took place just hours after his teammates faced Sevilla, but Vinicius remained attentive to their performance from afar.
“Players need rest; they need holidays,” Ancelotti said back in August. “We’re considering individual holidays during the season, especially for internationals who have little downtime. It’s something we’re evaluating with the medical team and fitness staff.”
This mini-break for Vinicius aligns perfectly with Ancelotti’s approach to maintaining peak performance levels throughout the season.