Vinícius Tobias: The Latest Brazilian Wonderkid Who’s Making His Name at Shakhtar
From Willian to Fernandinho, Douglas Costa to Fred, and Luiz Adriano to Bernard, you’d struggle to find a single club in Eastern Europe that has as strong of a connection with Brazilian footballers than Shakhtar Donetsk. Since 2002, Shakhtar have signed 47 Brazilian players, who have scored more than 1,000 goals combined for the club and allowed the Miners to dominate on the domestic front in addition to making inroads on the continental side. Even after selling Kevin to Premier League outfit Fulham last summer for a club-record fee of £34.6 million, there are still quite a few Brazilians who are making their mark for the Ukrainian behemoths.
Marlon Santos is holding it down in central defense alongside vice captain Valeriy Bondar, whilst Pedro Henrique has established himself as the team’s starting left back. Pedrinho has filled Georgiy Sudakov’s void as the team’s creative attacking talisman following the Ukrainian’s departure to Benfica, whilst Alisson and Newerton have cemented themselves as Shakhtar’s starting wing duo. Kauã Elias is challenging Lassina Traoré for the starting center forward position, whilst others like Marlon Gomes, Eguinaldo, Pedro Henrique, Luca Meirelles, Isaque, and Lucas Ferreira have emerged as creditable squad figures. And over on the right side of defense, Vinicius Tobias is chomping at the bit for the starting right back position.
Early Beginnings in Brazil
Born on February 23, 2004, Vinícius Augusto Tobías da Silva grew up in the Jardim Matarazzo quarter of São Paulo, where he quickly became obsessed with football. In 2016, Vinícius left his family at the age of 12 and made the move to Porto Alegre, joining Internacional’s academy and rising through the youth ranks. It wasn’t long before he was garnering international hype, with The Guardian picking him in their annual “Next Generation 2021: 60 of the best young talents in world football” alongside future stars like Gavi, Cristhian Mosquera, and Savinho.
“I think that our country, Brazil, produces many very talented players that we see emerging over the years. So, of course, being in this country helped me a lot, and learning from these great players who came from our country was also a great experience,” stated Tobias in an exclusive R.org interview. “I think, for me, it’s a privilege to have been born in Brazil and to have this gift that all Brazilians have. Of course, remembering where I came from and my roots has always helped me and continues to help me to this day. I think it has always helped me, and it always will.”
Raised in Buraco Quente Favela with five brothers, Tobias grew up in poverty and would sometimes pass out in training due to not having eaten any food. But when he joined Internacional, he started enjoying an elite football trajectory and quickly absorbed the same top-level conditions that furnished other Champions League ballers like Alisson Becker and Johnny Cardoso; within a year, he had already put on eight kilos.
Tobias didn’t just make his mark for Internacional’s youth sides, but Brazil’s youth sides as well. After playing seven and six times for Brazil’s U-15s and U-16s in 2019, respectively, Tobias played twice for their U-17s in 2021 before graduating to the U-20 side and registering three appearances for the Canarinha in 2022. And in 2023, he played a quarter-hour in a 1-0 friendly defeat against Morocco’s U-23s.
Such was his obvious potential that even though he didn’t play a single match for Internacional’s senior team, Shakhtar nevertheless saw fit to pay €6 million for him in July 2021, with Tobias eventually making the move to Europe in February 2022 after turning 18 years old. Six years after making the move to the Clube do Povo, Tobias was headed to Türkiye to undergo preseason preparations with Ukraine’s most successful team. Little did he know it, however, but his life was about to change even more than he expected. Immediately after setting foot in his new country, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a “special military operation” to “demilitarize and denazify” Ukraine, with Russia launching a full-scale invasion of Ukraine and starting the biggest conflict in Europe since World War II.
Testing his Skills in Madrid
As a result, FIFA allowed foreign players and coaches the right to unilaterally suspend their employment contracts with clubs affiliated to the Ukrainian Association of Football (UAF) or the Football Union of Russia (FUR) until June 30, 2024, while they also allowed players to depart on loan despite the winter transfer window already being closed. Rather than stick around in war-torn Ukraine, Tobias was one of the many foreign stars who departed the Ukrainian Premier League and moved overseas to a new club. But not just any random club. Vinícius was going to be plying his trade in the most successful club in European football: Real Madrid.
“Honestly, my reaction when I found out that I was going to Real…I didn’t even believe it. I had just left Shakhtar because of the war, so, when I heard the news that Real Madrid Castilla wanted me on loan, I couldn’t believe it, because I was taking a huge step forward in my career. I didn’t make my debut for Shakhtar when I arrived, and suddenly I ended up at Real Madrid Castilla. Actually, I was a little shaken at first, but it finally clicked after I got there and did my first workouts. I was very happy and very fulfilled because of that.”
Having made four appearances across his first few months in Iberia, Tobias took his game to a new level in 2022/23 under the watchful eye of Real Madrid legend Raúl González. Operating alongside a number of future stars like Nico Paz, Álex Jiménez, Rafa Marín, and 2025 FIFA Club World Cup Golden Boot winner Gonzalo García, Tobias made his mark in the Spanish capital and eked out a starting spot as the club’s main right back. In addition to providing an assist in five UEFA Youth League appearances, Tobias also registered four assists in 36 league appearances as Real Madrid Castilla came within inches of achieving promotion to the Spanish second tier, only to end up losing to Eldense in the finals. It was more of the same in 2023/24, with Tobias providing four assists in 21 appearances, albeit with one major difference. On January 6, 2024, Tobias made his first and only appearance for Real Madrid’s first team, playing 88 minutes in a 3-1 Copa del Rey win against lower-tier outfit Arandina.
Back to Business in Shakhtar
After Real declined their €15 million purchase option, Tobias returned to Shakhtar and signed a new contract through June 30, 2029. The Brazilian made his long-awaited debut for Shakhtar and delivered some much-needed attacking impetus down the right flank, registering six assists in 26 appearances – three of those coming in the UEFA Champions League – and helping Shakhtar win the Ukrainian Cup. He’s been continuing his impressive form in 2025/26 for Shakhtar, who, having missed out on a third-straight league title after finishing third in the table, are getting back to their best under Arda Turan. Shakhtar sit atop the Ukrainian Premier League standings, three points above second-placed LNZ, and with 10 matches remaining, the odds are in their favor as they seek a record-extending 16th championship.
“This year, I intend to achieve all my dreams, which is to win titles with Shakhtar, win the league, especially the Conference League where we’ve been playing great games…everyone can see that. I think my goal today at Shakhtar is winning all the tournaments we play in, making a name for myself within this club, and fulfilling all our possible dreams.”
Having already chipped in two goals and three assists in 30 appearances, Tobias has solidified himself as an indispensable figure in Shakhtar’s backline. And on Thursday, he’ll be looking to help Shakhtar defend their 3-1 lead against Polish side Lech Poznán – a match that, despite being a “home match,” will be played in Kraków, far closer to Lech’s home stadium than Shakhtar’s. Can Tobias lead Shakhtar to the UEFA Conference League quarterfinals? Stay tuned for what promises to be a spicy encounter in Poland.