Vinícius de Souza Costa (born 17 June 1999) is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for club VfL Wolfsburg.
Career Early career 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.
Flamengo On 9 March 2019, Vinícius debuted in the professional team playing in the final minutes of a Campeonato Carioca 1–1 draw against Vasco da Gama at the 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.
On 10 October 2019, Vinícius played his first Campeonato Brasileiro Série A against Atlético Mineiro at the Maracanã Stadium, replacing Reinier in injury time; Flamengo won 3–1.
Lommel On 25 August 2020, Lommel signed Vinícius from Flamengo for a fee of €2.5 million.
Mechelen (loan) On 1 July 2021, Vinícius joined Mechelen on a season-long loan.
Espanyol (loan) On 8 July 2022, Vinícius joined Espanyol on a season-long loan.
Sheffield United On 9 August 2023, Vinícius signed a four-year deal with Sheffield United. 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.
VfL Wolfsburg On 5 July 2025, Vinícius moved to Germany and joined Bundesliga side VfL Wolfsburg for an undisclosed transfer fee.
Career statistics
+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competitionClubSeasonLeagueState leagueNational cupContinentalOtherTotalDivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsFlamengo2019Série A3010000000402020004000000040Total305000000080Lommel2020–21Belgian First Division B180–10––1902022–23Challenger Pro League00–00––00Total18000100000190Mechelen (loan)2021–22Belgian Pro League322–30––352Espanyol (loan)2022–23La Liga341–30––371Sheffield United2023–24Premier League361–20–003812024–25Championship350–00–30380Total71100200030761VfL Wolfsburg2025–26Bundesliga240–20–102702026–272. Bundesliga62–10––72Total302–30–10342Career total18865012000402096
Honours Flamengo Copa Libertadores: 2019 Recopa Sudamericana: 2020 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A: 2019 Supercopa do Brasil: 2020 Campeonato Carioca: 2019, 2020
References