Vinícius Júnior matches Cristiano Ronaldo and two other Real Madrid legends’ record with goal vs. Barcelona

Vinícius Júnior played a key role for Real Madrid in the 2026 Spanish Super Cup final, which saw FC Barcelona lift the trophy in Saudi Arabia after a thrilling 3-2 win. Despite the disappointing result, the Brazilian once again etched his name into club history by matching a record previously held by Cristiano Ronaldo and two other Real Madrid legends.

Sunday delivered another dramatic chapter in El Clásico, as Real Madrid and Barcelona met in the Spanish Super Cup final for the fourth consecutive year. With Madrid trailing 1-0, Vinícius picked up the ball in midfield and launched a brilliant solo run, including a nutmeg on Jules Koundé, before scoring a spectacular goal in the 45+2 minute to pull Los Blancos level and reach a historic milestone.

With his goal against Barcelona, Vinícius Júnior has become the all-time leader in combined goals and assists in finals for Real Madrid. Across 15 finals since arriving from Flamengo in 2018, the Brazilian winger has now recorded nine goals (including his strike in the 2026 Spanish Super Cup) and seven assists, totaling 16 goal contributions.

During his nine seasons at Real Madrid, Cristiano Ronaldo also reached 16 goal contributions in finals. The Portuguese icon appeared in 18 finals for Los Blancos, scoring 15 goals and providing one assist, a pass to Marcelo in the 2014 UEFA Champions League final against Atlético Madrid.

Alongside Ronaldo, Vinícius has now matched two other Real Madrid legends: Karim Benzema, who played in 29 finals, and Ferenc Puskás, who appeared in eight. With four forwards tied at the top, and Alfredo Di Stéfano sitting just behind them with 13 goal contributions in 15 finals, Vinícius has a clear path to make further history by surpassing them in a future final with either a goal or an assist.

Vinícius still chasing Ronaldo’s success in finals

Vinícius Júnior and Cristiano Ronaldo, who arrived at Real Madrid the same season the other departed, represent two very different profiles in the club’s history. While Vinícius has thrived as a dynamic dribbler and creator, Ronaldo established himself as one of the most prolific goal scorers in modern soccer, and their success rates in finals remain difficult to compare.

Ronaldo won 14 of the 18 finals he played with Real Madrid, including all four UEFA Champions League finals he featured in. His only defeats came in one Copa del Rey final (2013 vs. Atlético Madrid) and three Spanish Super Cups (2011 vs. Barcelona, and 2014 and 2015 vs. Atlético), giving him a remarkable 77.7% win rate.

By comparison, Vinícius is still trailing Ronaldo’s mark despite appearing in only three fewer finals. With 10 wins and five defeats (four of them in Spanish Super Cups (2021, 2023, 2025, and 2026) and one in the 2025 Copa del Rey) the Brazilian currently holds a 66.6% win rate in finals.