Brazilian and Real Madrid Forward Vinícius José Paixão de Oliveira Júnior, popularly known as Vinicius Jr, has traced his ancestry to Cameroon
A Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) test carried out by the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) in partnership with AfricanAncestry.com on Tuesday, November 19, 2024, at Fonte Nova revealed the player’s ancestry in the Tikar tribe in Cameroon.
This was disclosed on Tuesday during the warm-up before Brazil’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Uruguay.
Vinicius was handed a certificate of the results prior to the game that ended in a one-all stalemate.
The CBF had embarked on the ‘Roots of Gold’ campaign, which celebrates the pride and history of the Afro-Brazilian community, especially in football.
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It is an initiative of the Brazilian Football Confederation aimed at reconnecting Seleção players with their roots.
Speaking on behalf of his son, Vinicius’ father was delighted to discover that his family is tied to Cameroon.
“It’s important for us to know where we came from. Many Brazilians actually don’t know their ancestry or our heritage. But I’m happy; we are from Cameroon too,” he said.
In honour of his ancestry, Vinicius Jr wore a special jersey with the flags of Brazil and Cameroon for the match against Uruguay.