The surreal scene occurred during the press conference of Vinicius Junior ahead of the quarter-finals of the Qatar World Cup 2022 between Brazil and Croatia and soon went viral on social media.

The young Brazilian striker was talking to journalists when a cat climbed onto the table where the microphones were and lay down, making those present smile. Then the unexpected happened.

The press secretary of the Brazilian team first stroked the cat and then got up, took it in his hands and threw it into the gap between the table and the journalists’ chairs in the press room of the Grand Hamad stadium, home of the training of Canarinha in Doha.

His action surprised even the player himself, who stopped his answer and looked at him. The press officer then ordered the questions to continue and tried to explain his action, which made Vinicio laugh.

Praise for Modric in the Croatia preview: “I take it like a mirror”

Beyond the incident with the cat, in the press conference before the quarter-final match of Qatar World Cup 2022Vinicius Junior praised the man who will be his rival on Friday at 12 but who is his teammate at Real Madrid, Luca Modric.

“Modric has always taught me a lot, he still continues to teach me day by day, he does everything to make me evolve. I take it as a mirrora 37-year-old playing at his level is something rare,” the winger considered. “I’m happy to play against him, and may the best man win,” he added.

The 22-year-old forward said he also learned a lot from his coach at Real Madrid, the Italian Charles Ancelottiwho once said that Vini was the player who surprised him the most.

“He always gives me the strength I need, as well as the scolding I need. When I needed him, he was like a father to me. He always gives me the affection I need, responsibility too. He does not just for me, but also for me, for all the youngsters, for all the players he’s worked with,” he stressed.

Vinicius Junior, the outstanding man of Brazil in Qatar with a goal and two assists, assured that Ancelotti and Tite have many things in common, especially in the “human part, knowing what is best for the player”.

“I always spoke on the phone with Tite, with Ancelotti, who gave me lots of advice for being a starter in the national team. I prepared myself better and I had a calm head to know that at the right moment I would be ready to help the national team. I’m very happy to have started well the competition, but I won’t stop there, I want to continue like this until the end“, wish.

Another influence the player mentioned during the press conference was the star neymar. Eight years older than him, the Paris Saint Germain player was his childhood and adolescence idol and now, in a dream that has come true, his “brother” in the national team.

“He told me that the World Cup is different from any other tournament. And now I’m living it, I know how important the World Cup is for our country, for everyone. He told me about it and I’ve always had it in mind. I didn’t know the size, but when the anthem was played i saw the difference which is to play a world cup for your country“, hill.