Vinicius Jr. has explained why he did not take Brazil's decisive penalty following the team's World Cup elimination to Norway, revealing that the decision had already been made by head coach Carlo Ancelotti.

After Bruno Guimarães missed the crucial spot kick, many questioned why Vinicius, one of Brazil's leaders and a regular penalty taker for Real Madrid, did not step up instead. Speaking after the match, the winger made it clear that the decision was entirely the coach's.

"The manager chooses who will take the penalty. He chose Bruno. I've never been a vain player, nor have I ever sought to be the top scorer. He thought Bruno took a better penalty than me, and that's why he chose him. I've never shied away from responsibility," Vinicius said.

The Real Madrid forward also rejected suggestions that he had avoided taking responsibility in such a decisive moment.

"Many people will say I didn't want to take the penalty, but I've never shied away from responsibility. I take penalties for Real Madrid when the coach chooses me. We need to prepare better for the next World Cup and the upcoming matches," he added.

Vinicius also defended Bruno Guimarães after the miss and stressed that there had been no disagreement over the decision.

"There was no debate. The manager chose Bruno, and we train every day for these situations. It was the right thing for him to take the penalty. Unfortunately, he missed. That's football. We have to keep our heads held high. I'm sending a lot of support to Bruno for the World Cup he's had. It's a shame that he'll be remembered for that penalty."

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