Vinicius ‘Vini’ Souza is the 23rd Brazilian to play for VfL Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga, and the second in the Wolves’ current squad after full-back Rogerio. The very first player from the South American country to represent the Green-and-Whites was Robson Ponte, who scored 14 goals in 69 appearances for the club between 2001 and 2003. Naldo – another of the Wolves’ well-known former Brazilians who now works as a consultant and runs his own agency – was heavily involved in the signing of VfL’s latest Brazilian recruit, whose performances earned him the nickname ‘Mr Consistency’ from fans of former club Sheffield United.
Did you know?
- Fifteen players have worn the number five shirt for the Wolves in the Bundesliga, including, Micky van de Ven, Timm Klose, Stefan Schnoor and Brian O’Neil.
- During his time at Belgian second-division side Lommel SK, Souza played under assistant coach Peter van der Veen, who now works as new Wolves boss Paul Simonis’ right-hand man.
Key strengths
Renowned as a strong ball-winner (averaging five interceptions per game), Souza posted impressive defensive numbers during his time at Sheffield United, winning 60 per cent of his challenges and averaging 3.16 tackles per match. He is also known for his excellent reading and understanding of the game and was one of the Blades’ key performers in 2024/25, captaining them on a number of occasions. After handing Souza the armband for the first time in a 1-0 win over Derby County on 21 September 2024, manager Chris Wilder put his decision down to the Brazilian’s leadership qualities and outstanding performance in pre-season.
Off the pitch…
Souza has several tattoos, including an image of his two children on his back and depictions of rappers Tupac Shakur and 50 Cent on his shoulders.
Profile
- Date and place of birth: 17 June 1999 in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)
- Height: 1.87m
- Preferred foot: right
- Position: midfield
Social media
- Instagram: Vinicius Souza (@viniciusouza_8)
- X: Vinicius Souza (@viniciusouza99)
Former clubs
- Flamengo (2019–2020): eight appearances
- Lommel SK (2020–2023): 19 appearances
- Loan spells:
- KV Mechelen (2021–2022): 35 appearances (two goals)
- Espanyol (2022–2023): 37 appearances (one goal)
- Loan spells:
- Sheffield United (2023-2025): 76 appearances (one goal)
First senior goal: 7 August 2021 in KV Mechelen’s 3-1 defeat against KAS Eupen.
First and only Premier League goal: 10 February 2024 in Sheffield United’s 3-1 victory at Luton Town. Souza dedicated his 74th-minute strike to his mother, who had been calling him every day and encouraging him to open his top-flight account for the club.
