During the Christmas break, footballers spend their time in varied ways. For instance, Real Madrid’s Vinícius Júnior and Eduardo Camavinga kicked off their break in the United States before heading for a relaxing stint in Dubai. Social media was flooded with images of the Brazilian forward attending NBA games and interacting with American basketball luminaries like LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Yet, Vinícius Júnior took it a step further during his holiday by getting an extensive back tattoo. His body now hosts a masterpiece showcasing legendary sports figures such as Pele, Michael Jordan, Muhammad Ali, Kobe Bryant, among others.

It’s noteworthy that among this quartet, only Michael Jordan remains alive.

Additionally, the Brazilian added nuanced details to complement the artwork, including the number ‘7’ on the upper part of his back and the phrase ‘Black Lives Matter,’ echoing support for the international movement advocating for the African American community.

Remember, Vinicius Junior is currently still recovering from a knee tendon injury sustained during a match with his national team against Colombia in mid-November. In the ongoing season, the forward has participated in fifteen games for Real Madrid, scoring six goals and providing three assists.

Vinícius José Paixão de Oliveira Júnior is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays for the La Liga club, Real Madrid and the Brazil National Team. He started his career playing for Flamengo in Serie A and moved to Real in 2018. He is known for his ability to topple defenses, agility, and can also play as a defender. Vinicius has some pretty interesting tattoos on his body. Let us take a look at them and the meanings they hold.

1. ‘Jesus’ Tattoo

Tattoo: The left shoulder of the player has a tattoo of the face of Jesus Christ on it. The quote, “Verás que um filho teu não foge à luta” is also tattooed below the face of Jesus.

Meaning: The tattoo of Jesus on his shoulder represents his religious views and the sacrifice that Jesus Christ gave to save humanity. The tattoo also shows how much he believes in his faith and the quote on arm is in Portuguese that translates to, “You will see that your son does not escape the fight” that shows his courage to achieve his dreams and his desire to win. 

2. Writing Tattoo

Tattoo: Vinicius’ left bicep contains another quote tattooed on it. The letters, “vjr” can also be seen on the inside of his elbow.

Meaning: The letters, “vjr” represents the logo of the player, representing his name, Vinicius Junior.

3. ‘Lion and Rose’ Tattoo

Tattoo: The upper side of his left forearm has the face of a lion tattooed on it. There is also a rose flower tattooed on his left wrist.

Meaning: The lion on his arm represents his sun sign, Leo, and shows his warrior spirit. Vinicius was born on 12 July 2000. There is another tattoo on his body in reference to his birthday as you will soon find out.

4. ‘Eye’ Tattoo

Tattoo: The inner side of his left forearm has an eye tattooed on it with the word, “Acredite” tattooed above the eye. The eye also has another circle and a triangle tattooed inside it.

Meaning: The word on his arm is Portuguese for Believe. The tattoo of the eye represents his goal of becoming a footballer. The tattoo goes along with the tattoo of the boy below it. The whole design represents how much he wanted to become a professional football player since he was a kid.

5. ‘Boy’ Tattoo

Tattoo: The inner side of his left forearm also contains a tattoo of a small boy wearing a football jersey with the number 10 on it, clinging to a fence, looking to the other side, with a football below his right foot. The number, “45105147” is also tattooed on the inside of his left wrist.

Meaning: The footballer showcased the tattoo on his Instagram story along with the caption, “acredite nos seus sonhos” which is Portuguese for, “Believe in Your Dreams”. The tattoo of the little boy looking through the fence and the eye above it represents Vinicius’ childhood dream of becoming a footballer. The tattoo represents a young Vinicius that wanting to become a pro. The tattoo design was inspired by his idol, Neymar Jr. tattoo of the little boy standing in the Brazil favelas with a football.

6. ‘Side’ Tattoo

Tattoo: The left side of Vinicius’ body also contains a few lines in Portuguese tattooed on it. There is also a tiny football tattooed below the lines so it might be another tattoo about his dream of becoming a professional footballer.

7. ‘Words’ Tattoo

Tattoo: The right thigh of the footballer has the words, “Abençoado por deus 2000” tattooed on it.

Meaning: The words on his thigh are Portuguese for, “Blessed by God 2000″ which is a reference to his year of birth. Vinicius was born on 12 July 2000. 

8. ‘Thigh’ Tattoo

Tattoo: Vinicius’ left thigh also has a tattoo on it but it remains a mystery as he has not showcased the tattoo anywhere yet.