Why Vinicius Junior doesn’t take Brazil’s penalties as Bruno Guimaraes misses against Norway

Even though Vinicius Junior is Brazil’s biggest superstar and best player, he is not their designated penalty taker.

Head coach Carlo Ancelotti trusts Newcastle midfielder Bruno Guimaraes to take their penalties instead.

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Well, Guimaraes’ penalty-taking ability was put to the test after Matheus Cunha was fouled against Norway in the World Cup Round of 16.

Norway goalkeeper Orjan Nyland saved his spot-kick following a controversial stutter run-up.

Guimaraes’ miss would have left many football fans wondering why Vinicius Jr does not take Brazil’s penalties.

Why Vinicius Junior wasn’t Brazil’s penalty taker against Norway

Vinicius Jr’s below-average penalty record probably explains why Carlo Ancelotti prefers Bruno Guimaraes.

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The Real Madrid winger has taken 19 penalties throughout his career, scoring 13 with a conversion rate of 68%.

Around 75-80 percent of penalties are scored, meaning Vini Jr is far from one of the world’s best penalty-takers.

He has missed two of his three penalties for Brazil, including his most recent against Venezuela in 2024.

Before his miss against Norway, Guimaraes had scored all three of his penalties (two for Newcastle and one for Lyon).

However, he had never taken a penalty for Brazil, raising questions about how he earned that responsibility.

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It will be intriguing to see whether Guimaraes takes Brazil’s next spot-kick or whether Vini Jr is handed the ball.

However, Barcelona’s Raphinha is expected to resume penalty-taking duties when he returns from his hamstring injury.

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