Vinícius de Souza Costa (born 17 June 1999) is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for EFL Championship club Sheffield United.[2]

Vinícius Souza
Vinícius with Espanyol in 2022
Personal information
Full name Vinícius de Souza Costa[1]
Date of birth (1999-06-17) 17 June 1999 (age 25)
Place of birth Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Height 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s) Defensive midfielder
Team information
Current team
Sheffield United
Number 21
Youth career
2014–2019 Flamengo
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2019–2020 Flamengo 8 (0)
2020–2023 Lommel 18 (0)
2021–2022Mechelen (loan) 32 (2)
2022–2023Espanyol (loan) 34 (1)
2023– Sheffield United 50 (1)
International career
2017 Brazil U20 3 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 12 November 2024 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 17:17, 26 October 2019 (UTC)

Career

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Early career

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Born and raised in Padre Miguel, neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro, Vinícius arrived at Flamengo in 2014 to play in the club's under 15 team approved by coach Zé Ricardo. In the youth team he played alongside Matheus Thuler and Lincoln, future teammates in the professional team.[3]

Flamengo

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On 9 March 2019, Vinícius debuted on the professional team playing in the final minutes of a Campeonato Carioca 1–1 draw against Vasco da Gama at Maracanã Stadium.

After the transfer of Gustavo Cuéllar to Al-Hilal in August 2019 head coach Jorge Jesus promoted Vinícius to the professional team. The Portuguese coach praised him very much comparing him to his former player Nemanja Matić.[4]

On 10 October 2019, Vinícius played his first Campeonato Brasileiro Série A against Atlético Mineiro at Maracanã Stadium replacing Reinier in the injury time, Flamengo won 3–1.[5]

Lommel

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On 25 August 2020, Lommel signed Vinícius from Flamengo for a fee of €2.5 million.[6]

Mechelen (loan)

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On 1 July 2021, Vinícius joined K.V. Mechelen on a season-long loan.

Espanyol (loan)

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On 8 July 2022, Vinícius joined Espanyol on a season-long loan.[7]

Sheffield United

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On 9 August 2023, Vinícius signed a four-year deal with Sheffield United.[8] He made his debut for the club on 12 August, coming on as a substitute in 1–0 loss against Crystal Palace in the Premier League.[9]

Career statistics

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As of 24 August 2024[10]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup League cup Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Flamengo 2019 Série A 3 0 0 0 0 0 1[a] 0 4 0
2020 0 0 0 0 0 0 4[a] 0 4 0
Total 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 8 0
Lommel 2020–21 Belgian First Division B 18 0 1 0 19 0
2022–23 Challenger Pro League 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 18 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 19 0
K.V. Mechelen (loan) 2021–22 Belgian First Division A 32 2 3 0 35 2
Espanyol (loan) 2022–23 La Liga 34 1 3 0 37 1
Sheffield United 2023–24 Premier League 36 1 2 0 0 0 38 1
2024–25 Championship 3 0 0 0 0 0 3 0
Total 39 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 41 1
Career total 126 4 9 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 140 4
  1. ^ a b Appearance(s) in Campeonato Carioca

Honours

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Flamengo

References

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  1. ^ "2023/24 Premier League squad lists". Premier League. 13 September 2023. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  2. ^ "Big Vini is a Blade". Sheffield United F.C. 9 August 2023. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  3. ^ "Conheça Vinícius Souza, o volante da base que enche os olhos de Jesus no Flamengo". globoesporte.com. 3 September 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2019.
  4. ^ "Jorge Jesus quer transformar Vinicius Souza em 'novo Matic'". goal.com. 11 October 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2019.
  5. ^ "Mais uma vítima: Flamengo vence o Galo no Maracanã e aumenta para oito pontos a vantagem na ponta". globoesporte.com. 10 October 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2019.
  6. ^ "Flamengo acerta venda de Vinicius Souza ao Grupo City; clube vai receber R$ 16,3 milhões por 60%". globoesporte.com (in Brazilian Portuguese). 25 August 2020. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
  7. ^ "RCD Espanyol - Notícies". www.rcdespanyol.com. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
  8. ^ "BIG VINI IS A BLADE". www.sufc.co.uk. 9 August 2023. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  9. ^ "Sheffield United 0-1 Crystal Palace: Odsonne Edouard scores winner for dominant Eagles". 12 August 2023.
  10. ^ Vinícius Souza at Soccerway. Retrieved 27 May 2024.
  11. ^ Unwin, Will (23 November 2019). "Flamengo 2–1 River Plate: Copa Libertadores final – as it happened". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
  12. ^ Vickery, Tim (27 February 2020). "Flamengo's Recopa win over Independiente a stepping stone to more glory". ESPN. Retrieved 27 February 2020.