Becoming a GOAT comes with certain responsibilities. Major one of them is inspiring up-and-coming athletes. No matter the sport. Tom Brady is one such great. Be it within the NFL, or outside of it, say in soccer. Now, there are words like best and GOAT that define a player, but what Real Madrid’s star Vinicius Jr. said, in a way, speaks a lot about Brady’s beyond-the-gridiron influence.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with CNN, the soccer star was asked about the history of the signed Tom Brady shirt that was framed in the background at his house. Vinicius took a deep breath and released a smile before saying, “Tom Brady is the best in his sport, he’s the best in the NFL and he always followed football. He even has a team in England [Birmingham]. And me being Brazilian, and his former wife [Gisele] was also Brazilian, so he always had this connection and great affection for me. And that was very cool.”

Vinicius just brought the facts up. These facts are enough to showcase that Brady was not just the one-trick pony, rather he knows how to do it all. Even if his English Club Birmingham might not be doing so great, his ownership there does reflect his curiosity of widening his interest, knowledge, and horizons after sweating it all out on the gridiron. But Madrid’s Brazilian star did not stop there with his praises. He was singing, and the song was in Tom’s tribute.

“I always say I am a big fan of Tom Brady. He probably even thinks I’m annoying for all the times I’ve said I only started watching American football because of him,” Vinicius said, letting out a cheeky smile again as he said it. If you ask us, that’s quite ‘GOATly’ of Brady to be increasing celebrity viewership for the league.

All said and done, you might think what an unexpected crossover this is. But let’s just say there’s a history between Madrid, Tom Brady, and Vinicius. Yup, that’s right! Who knows? He might be a Madridista at heart. Claiming him to be a Real Madrid fan might be bold since he has shown allegiance to many soccer stars and teams in the past, but let’s just say Tom Brady was more than impressed when Vinicius Jr. dedicated his goal to him.

When Vinicius Jr. pulled off Tom Brady’s favorite goal celebration!

When Tom Brady swapped his cleats for a seat in the stands, Real Madrid was rolling out the red carpet. Back in April 2024, the NFL icon was soaking up the Spanish sunshine and snapping pics at Madrid’s Bernabeu Stadium. You can say Brady was showing some love for ‘Los Blancos’ while catching the high-octane El Clasico clash against Barcelona. And guess what? His attendance became worthwhile, not only for Madrid’s spectacular 3-2 win over the rival but also for the tribute he got from Vinicius Jr.

After scoring the penalty goal, the Brazilian did not leave any sauce for his celebration. It was a nod to Brady’s legendary football moves. Picture this: Vinicius was throwing an imaginary pigskin towards his wideout, channeling his inner, winner, Tom if you know it. And it was enough to get the GOAT raving about it. He couldn’t resist sharing this on Instagram, playfully declaring, “My favorite goal celebration ever. But I’m biased,” with a wink emoji. Looks like even legends can geek out over their heroes.

But that’s not all! Vini Jr. gave a shout-out in return, re-sharing Brady’s post with a heartfelt “For you my bro!!!” As if that wasn’t enough, Brady joined the Real Madrid squad in the locker room for some post-match victory cheer as well. Takes two to tango, but only one can be the greatest. And Vinicius knows why Tom Brady is The One. Though, if you are wondering, Vini is not lagging behind either. Guess, GOAT’s influence has caught up to him.