Vinicius Jr’s gushing about LeBron James, his bond with Neymar & respect for Yamal

The Brazilian who scored an elegant equaliser to start their World Cup campaign warding off dangerous Morocco, has grown up admiring the NBA legend, has mutual respect for Barca rival Yamal and looks up to Neymar

Vinicius Jr celebrates his goal for Brazil vs Morocco in New York. (AP)

4 min readJun 14, 2026 11:47 AM IST First published on: Jun 14, 2026 at 11:47 AM IST

Brazilian star and redeemer of their opening day against Morocco, Vinicius Jr, arrives at the FIFA World Cup, hoping to leave asa star. But there’s four other superstars that Vinicius looks up to or mutually respects as is evidenced from his interactions in the past – LeBron James, Lamine Yamal and Neymar.

Vinicius who has murals of Pele, Ronaldo (OG), alongside Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Cristian Ronaldo and LeBron James at his private gym, has often exchanged Insta messages with the likes of King James. The bond deepened as he took inspiration from the NBA superstar after he faced racist hostility in Spain from rival club fans.

“LeBron also became a great source of motivation for me. He showed commitment not only in sports but also outside of it. He proved that greatness is not limited to what you do on the field,” he had said once. His foundation was influenced by the work done by King James.”My biggest dream is to leave a legacy that goes beyond football” he would say.

“It is an honor to know LeBron, he is an incredible player and a great example for all athletes,” he said of the No 23.

ALSO READ | Vinicius Jr starts setting his Country vs Club credentials right, with a beautiful equaliser

“The easiest thing would have been to enjoy the fame and stay on the sidelines,” Marca quoted him as saying in the past. “But LeBron never wanted that. He never tried to represent everyone. He simply refused to turn his back on the people he came from.”

Vinicius is also buddies with a host of NFL figures, though his NBA love is more well known.

Marca also reported how Vinicius graciously praised Lamine Yamal, a rival at club and country.

Speaking before the World Cup, Vinicius had said. “Spain has Lamine Yamal, who is one of the best players in the world. He does incredible things on the pitch. He’s a player who can win the World Cup on his own. He’s one of those players you pay to watch,” he said.

He added: “Talking about Barcelona players is always complicated because then the fans start talking, but we have to appreciate the players who are out there on the field,” he had explained.

His bond with Neymar was unique, given it was Vinicius who had given Neymar reassurance of his need to the side while he nursed his injuries and was down, and out of the team.

“Neymar is our idol,” Vinicius would tell Caze TV. “I have always had enormous affection for him, and he always defended me a lot too. After every call-up, Neymar would tell me: ‘damn it, Ancelotti didn’t call me up again, I’m really sad.’ But I would always tell him that the old man trusted him and that when the time came, he would take Ney… He always gave us a lot of morale. Being able to play with him again is going to be an honor.”

While Neymar sat out the opener still not fully ready after a Grade 2 calf tear, he was seen limping slightly but offering instructions to players during hydration breaks. He first spoke to Vinicius and then tuggat at the the jersey of Bruno Guimaraes drilling words into his ear. Guimaraes later provided the assist to Vini Jr for the equaliser in the 32nd minute.