Marca: Vinicius has 127 goals in 375 appearances and could potentially catch up with Di Stefano.

According to Marca, 26-year-old Vinicius Jr. started the new season with the most appearances and goals in the team.

Vinicius Junior was one of the most talked-about figures this summer. After months of speculation and suspense in the hours leading up to the match, Real Madrid announced on August 6 that they had extended the Brazilian striker's contract until 2032. If the contract is fulfilled, the Rio player's Real Madrid career will last 14 seasons.

This year marks Vinicius's eighth year in the Real Madrid dressing room. During this time, he has witnessed the departure of legends and key players such as Sergio Ramos, Casemiro, Benzema, Kroos, Modric, Marcelo, Nacho, and Lucas Vázquez. The last to leave was Dani Carvajal, whose departure marked the complete end of Real Madrid's six-trophy era.

This almost entirely revamped squad has made Vinicius the Real Madrid player with the most appearances in the upcoming season. He will turn 26 on July 12th and will make his 376th appearance for Real Madrid at the RCDE Stadium, bringing his total appearances to 375 and goals to 127.

In Mourinho's team, Vinicius served as the second captain, sharing the dressing room duties with Federico Valverde and Thibaut Courtois. All three were promoted to the first team during the 2018 preseason, when Julen Lopetegui was the manager. The Uruguayan Valverde was the first captain, followed by the Brazilian Vinicius as second, and the Belgian Courtois as third. Of the three, Vinicius has the most appearances: 375, followed by Valverde with 372, and Courtois, the goalkeeper from Bre, with 333.

Surpassing Di Stefano

Vinicius Jr., who has established himself as a leader over several seasons, will be playing under intense scrutiny in the new season. On one hand, there are the issues left over from Xabi Alonso's takeover last season; on the other hand, his third partnership with Mbappe needs to dispel all the doubts left from the previous two seasons.

Having just finished a World Cup where he performed exceptionally well but his team's performance was disappointing, Vinicius's challenge is to lead Real Madrid back onto the path to victory. He has scored at least 22 goals in five consecutive seasons, including three times with exactly 22 goals and one time with 23 goals. His personal best is 24 goals in the 2023-24 season.

Among the Real Madrid legends Vinicius Jr. is expected to emulate this season, one name stands out as sacred and inviolable: Alfredo Di Stefano. With 375 Real Madrid appearances to date, he's only 21 fewer than Di Stefano, and at his current pace, he should surpass that record before the end of the year.

During his eight seasons with Real Madrid, he averaged 47 appearances per season. At this rate, by the time his contract expires in June 2032, he will have made 657 appearances. Only four players in Real Madrid's history have more appearances: Raul (741), Casillas (725), Sanchis (710), and Sergio Ramos (671). Benzema follows with 648 appearances, while another number 9, Santillana, has 645.

In terms of goals, he averages 16 goals per season, and his current 127 goals are the highest in Real Madrid's history, while Mbappe has scored 86 goals in just two seasons. Based on the Brazilian player's current scoring rate, he is projected to have scored 223 goals by 2032, ranking seventh in Real Madrid's history, still a long way from Cristiano Ronaldo's 450 goals.