Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior has African ancestry revealed to him before game | OneFootball

Real Madrid and Brazil star Vinicius Junior was part of the pre-game build-up before the Selecao’s clash with Uruguay, as he was presented with a plaque. It was revealed to Vinicius that he is of Cameroonian descent originally, something he was unaware of.

After taking a DNA test as part of the ‘Golden Roots’ campaign, aimed at expressing pride in the black Brazilian community and their identity, Vinicius’ roots were revealed to him. His father, who was also present, was not aware of the links, and neither was Vinicius, which take him back to the Tikar tribe in Cameroon, which currently reside in Northwestern Cameroon.

“I didn’t know it, now I see it. But I’m very happy. Now we have to win the game, let’s go,” he said quickly before the match, as quoted by Sport.

“For us it is important to know where we come from,” said his father. “These are the things that Brazilians, in fact, do not know where our ancestry, where we have moved from. But I am happy, we are from Cameroon too.”

Vinicius has a strong sense of his identity, of course most clearly exemplified by his rallying cry to fight racism in Spanish football. He also has a tattoo on his leg saying ‘While the colour of our skin is more important than the shining of the eyes, there will be war.’

It was Real Madrid teammate Fede Valverde that soured the evening for Vinicius. Valverde’s excellent strike opened the scoring, while Gerson volleyed the equaliser, ending in a 1-1 draw.