Cast your mind back to the 1st June 2024.
Real Madrid had just won their 15th Champions League with a controlled and composed 2-0 win over Borussia Dortmund. They’d lost just once in the league on their way to picking up a 36th La Liga.
The Spanish giants were firmly on top of the world – with Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo amongst the jewels in a star-studded crown. Vinicius had evolved into one of the most dangerous forwards in world football, combining electric pace with a deadly end product. Rodrygo was beginning to consistently deliver when it mattered the most.
Together, the Brazilian pair epitomised everything it meant to be a Madrista.
Real Madrid looked set for another era of dominance.
Fast forward to today and their once-glittering future is clouded in uncertainty.
How did the Brazilian pair go from the kings of Europe to the exit door?
The Peak
2023/24 was the high point for both Vinicius and Rodrygo in a Real Madrid shirt.
Vinicius was phenomenal throughout the season, with notable performances in the later stages of the Champions League. He tormented Manchester City in the quarter finals, delivered against Bayern Munich in the semis and finished with a goal in the final against Borussia Dortmund. Many had him nailed down as the favourite for the Ballon d’Or.
Rodrygo delivered a career-best of 17 goals across all competitions, linking up with Vinicius and Bellingham in a fluid front three that consistently delivered. He scored a crucial goal in both legs of the quarter final, helping Real to overcome a strong City team.
Together, Vinicius and Rodrygo were relentless. Real Madrid felt invincible; they were not just winning – they were dominating.
With both Brazilians still in their early 20s, they seemed destined to dominate the world stage for years to come.
And then Mbappé arrived.
The Shift
The long-anticipated arrival of Kylian Mbappé was supposed to elevate Real Madrid into footballing immortality. It was the final piece of the puzzle; a Galáctico signing to usher in a new era.
The 2024 Super Cup gave a glimpse into how Ancelotti intended to fit his new Galactico into an already stacked front line.
Real deployed Mbappé, Vinicius, Bellingham and Rodrygo in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Behind the attacking quartet was a solid defensive midfield of Tchouameni and Valverde. Debutant Mbappé was on the scoresheet and Bellingham picked up the MOTM as Madrid came out as 2-0 winners against a resolute Atalanta defence.
Whilst it was a slightly laboured display from Real, it appeared to be the start of something special. On paper, it seemed the perfect system to accommodate four genuine world-class attacking stars about to enter their prime.
In reality, the balance hasn’t been easy to find.
Was Mbappé the problem?
It is hard to classify any player as a ‘problem’ if they score 31 goals in 34 league games, but the arrival of Mbappé undoubtedly affected the balance between Vinicius, Rodrygo and Bellingham.
Vinicius, who had spent two years evolving into the club’s main man, now had to compete for space and spotlight with another global superstar. Mbappé’s demand for freedom meant a reshuffling of roles across the front line. Rodrygo became collateral damage, often benched or shifted into unfamiliar positions. In the 2023/24 season, he played 45 games through the middle as the main centre-forward. In the following season, 31 appearances came as a right winger.
What had been a fluid and perilous attack was suddenly thrown into disarray.
That disruption has led to a fundamental question: can Mbappé, Vinicius, and Rodrygo thrive together in the same system?
The trio has everything: blistering pace, technical flair, and goalscoring prowess. But stylistically, they overlap more than they complement. Both Mbappé and Vinicius are at their best cutting in from the left, while Rodrygo is often used as a tactical plug, sacrificing his rhythm to balance the others. The chemistry that once made Madrid’s attack so electric began to erode, replaced by positional confusion and moments of individual brilliance rather than collective cohesion. With a new manager at the helm, it will be Xabi Alonso’s responsibility to find a system that brings the best out of Madrid’s star-studded forward line.
Overlooked for the Ballon d’Or
After being the front-runner for the 2024 Ballon d’Or, Vinicius Jr. ultimately missed out to Manchester City’s Rodri, a moment that seemed to mark the beginning of his downturn.
It was a psychological blow for a player who had spent the previous 18 months ascending to superstardom, driving Madrid’s success with goals, assists and individual brilliance. Whether it was internal frustration, mental fatigue from back-to-back demanding seasons, or the growing shadow cast by Mbappé’s arrival, something shifted.
His explosiveness dulled, as did the swagger that came with it. He began to force plays, often dribbling into crowded areas or making rushed decisions. Before October, Vinícius was averaging nearly one goal contribution per game across all competitions; after that, his numbers dipped sharply, and his influence waned.
In a team built on confidence and momentum, his impact seemed to drain away. For a player who had once carried Madrid on his shoulders, doubts were now beginning to surface about his future at the club.
What caused the drop in form?
The drop in form for both Vinicius and Rodrygo during the 2024-25 season wasn’t the result of a single issue, but rather a convergence of tactical, physical and psychological pressures. The arrival of Mbappé forced a significant reshuffle in the forward line, disrupting the balance that had made Madrid’s attack so effective the previous season.
Fatigue was another key factor. Both players have endured relentless workloads since 2020, balancing club football with international tournaments like the Copa América, World Cup, and Club World Cup; all with little time to recover. That kind of schedule inevitably takes its toll.
Mentally, the pressure to perform alongside global superstars while competing for minutes led to visible dips in confidence and form. The arrival of teenage prodigy Endrick in 2024 only heightened the intensity, introducing a hungry new competitor into an already crowded front line. With expectations sky-high and patience wearing thin, both Vinicius and Rodrygo entered unfamiliar territory of no longer being the club’s untouchable future, but stars fighting to prove they have more to offer.
What role could they play under Xabi Alonso?
As Xabi Alonso prepares for his debut season in charge, the futures of Vinicius and Rodrygo will hinge on how, or if, they fit into his vision. With Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappé expected to form the spine of the attack, it remains to be seen whether Alonso continues with the 3-4-3 formation he deployed so successfully at Bayer Leverkusen, or whether he opts for a more balanced, pressing-focused system such as a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3.
In such a setup, Vinicius could still play a crucial role, likely as a traditional left-winger tasked with stretching the pitch while contributing more defensively. However, this would mean sacrificing some of the freedom and improvisation that have defined his game. Whether he adapts to a more disciplined role remains to be seen.
Rodrygo’s position appears even more precarious. With the front line already saturated, Rodrygo may be reduced to a rotational player or impact substitute unless Alonso radically reshapes the system, perhaps by experimenting with dual strikers. Alonso’s biggest challenge will be balancing squad depth with cohesion and deciding whether this is enough or whether a tactical revolution is required.
Off the pitch, there are growing signs that the club’s stance toward the Brazilian duo has shifted. Once deemed untouchable, both Vinícius and Rodrygo now face uncertain futures. Contract talks with Vinícius, once considered a formality, have stalled, fuelling speculation about his long-term role in a Madrid side increasingly built around Mbappé. Whether this is a negotiating tactic or a sign of more profound strategic change remains unclear.
Meanwhile, Rodrygo has attracted serious interest from Europe’s elite, with PSG reportedly submitting a €100 million bid and clubs like Liverpool and Tottenham closely monitoring the situation. Crucially, Madrid may view their potential departures not only as a means of rebalancing the squad but also as a way to fund the next phase of their rebuild, specifically the long-term replacements for Luka Modrić and Toni Kroos in midfield.
In that context, their sales become less about performance and more about strategic planning.
A Dip in Form or the Beginning of the End?
Even the greatest players experience poor form, and for a while, it seemed reasonable to frame Vinicius and Rodrygo’s struggles as just that, a rough spell brought on by tactical reshuffling and fatigue. But as the inconsistency lingers and the spark that once lit up Real Madrid’s front line continues to fade, fans are beginning to wonder if this is more than just a temporary dip.
Once adored as the fearless faces of Madrid’s future, both Brazilians have become increasingly scrutinised with the same intensity with which they were once celebrated. The talent is undoubtedly still there, but the fearlessness and fluidity that defined their rise now feel distant.
Can Vinicius and Rodrygo rediscover the spark that once made them Madrid’s most exciting talents?
One year ago, they were deemed priceless for Europe’s most dominant team, decisive and destined for greatness. Today, they stand at a crossroads that may define the rest of their careers. Whether they stay or go, the story of Vinicius Jr. and Rodrygo at Real Madrid has already been extraordinary. But if this is the end of their time in white, it won’t be remembered solely for the trophies – but for the brilliance that once made them feel untouchable. Still, with a new manager, a fresh system and something to prove, the chance to reignite their Real Madrid careers may be within reach.
