The only clearing in the rainy evening in Marseille. Coming into play at half-time of the match against Angers at the Stade Vélodrome on Wednesday, young Robinio Vaz turned the tables by scoring a double for OM, before finally seeing SCO snatch a draw (2-2) in added time. A (very) frustrating result for Roberto De Zerbi’s team but which takes nothing away from the remarkable performance of the 18-year-old “kid”, surprising and even impressive each time he comes into play this season.

Remarkable precocity statistics

Born on February 17, 2007 in Mantes-la-Jolie (Yvelines) and still very attached to his childhood neighborhood of Val-Fourré, Robinio Vaz has four goals and two assists scored in nine matches played in Ligue 1 (two starts) this season. Before his double against Angers – which highlighted his profile as a finishing attacker, fast and powerful (1.85 m, 78 kg) -, OM number 34 had already scored in the second half against Paris FC (5-2) then Le Havre (6-2) at the Vélodrome. What do all these encounters have in common? Substitute at kick-off, Vaz stood out for his overflowing desire and enthusiasm, mixed with an interesting technical quality (handovers with his back to the game, combinations, etc.) in the service of a Marseille collective which purred every time.

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Statistically, and rather honorarily given the number of matches played, the young Marseillais is today the most decisive player of the 2007 generation in Europe. He scores or offers a final pass every 38 minutes. It’s better than the prodigies Estêvão (Chelsea), Franco Mastantuono (Real Madrid), Rodrigo Mora (Porto), Lennart Karl (Bayern Munich), Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal) or even… Lamine Yamal (FC Barcelona). Excuse me a little.

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Not a pure product of Marseille training

Having become against Angers, at 18 years and 254 days, the youngest OM player to score a double in official competition since 1947, the “minot” Robinio Vaz did not complete all his classes in the Marseille city, contrary to what one might think. After joining the USC Mantes training center at home in 2015, then that of FC Mantois 78 in 2017, he joined the youth teams of FC Sochaux Montbéliard in 2022. And it was only in the summer of 2024 that he was recruited in Marseille by Medhi Benatia’s assistant Ali Zarrak, to sign his first professional contract alongside midfielder Alexandre Issanga.

Now installed in the Olympian group led by Roberto De Zerbi, the young adult made his professional debut last January during OM’s defeat on penalties against Lille in the round of 16 of the Coupe de France. He had two small appearances in Ligue 1 before the start of this 2025-2026 season, which could well be the breakout season.

Brooded by De Zerbi and Aubameyang

Shining at 18 in front of 66,000 supporters at the Vélodrome is not given to everyone. And few of the young players on the reserve team – recently the pure Marseillais Maxime Lopez and Boubacar Kamara, before them Samir Nasri – have managed to find a place in the sun at OM. Robinio Vaz, excited and relaxed every time he enters the pitch, seems to be following the right path. But there is no question of getting excited according to his trainer Roberto De Zerbi. “We shouldn’t put pressure on him, but if I gave him his place and he stayed this summer, it’s because he’s good and ready in my opiniondeclared the Italian coach on Wednesday after his protégé’s double against Angers. It’s not there so we can sell it this summer in England. He plays because he is strong, we try to support him a little more. He has already proven that he is ready to be on this team.»

He must not worry, he must keep this childish madness. He has a wonderful carefree attitude, that’s his strength.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang on Robinio Vaz.

Rewarded for his efforts by “RDZ”, Vaz started in Lens (2-1 defeat) last Saturday. But that evening he came across the robust Lensoise defense, which left him no space to express himself. This is called high-level learning. “He must not worry, he must keep this childish madness. He has a beautiful carefree attitude, that’s his strengththen said Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, a fine connoisseur of the number 9 profession. It happens to miss a match and it’s not very serious. With what he has shown since the start, we know what he can bring us. I trust him.»

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This Saturday (9:05 p.m.) in Auxerre, during the 11th day of Ligue 1, will the veteran “Aubam” (36 years old) and his young partner be lined up together at kick-off for the first time this season? “It’s possible. We have to find solutions and combining them can be one of them. Robinio and Aubameyang can also play together with (Mason) Greenwood on the right and (Igor) Paixão on the left. I have already played with four strikers at Sassuolo or Brighton», evaded De Zerbi at a press conference. Response in the next few hours.

French team, Senegal… The choice between three national selections

In the longer term, one thing is (almost) certain: Robinio Vaz should get a lot of playing time during the next African Cup of Nations (December 21-January 18), taking advantage of the absence of Aubameyang, requested (unless surprised) by Gabon, and that of Amine Gouiri, whose return to competition is not planned before the start of the 2026 calendar year following his shoulder operation. A fear still remains for OM. If he continues his momentum, Vaz could indeed be called in for reinforcement by… Senegal, his mother’s country of origin. His father is from Guinea-Bissau (not qualified for the CAN), which explains his Portuguese-sounding name. It remains to be seen what Marseillais’ choice will be regarding his national selection. Because so far, he has played in all the youth categories in the French team, from the U16 to the U20 with whom he has one selection.

A first individual distinction at OM?

Proof that he is getting thicker and thicker, Robinio Vaz has just been nominated for the Olympian of the Month trophy for October, which he is competing for with the Englishman Mason Greenwood. The vote being reserved for Marseille supporters, who have seen so few young people blossom in the 21st century, the former Sochalien has every chance of winning this symbolic title. Now it’s time for November which begins this Saturday with a crucial trip to the Abbé-Deschamps lawn, in Auxerre. After two frustrating defeats (in Lisbon against Sporting then at Lens) and a very bitter draw against Angers, OM (3rd in the standings, two points behind PSG) must bounce back before returning to the Champions League with the reception of Atalanta (next Wednesday). There is no doubt that hopeful Robinio Vaz – as discreet and hard-working as he is unleashed on the pitch according to his teammates – will have his say in helping an Olympian team once again plagued by doubts.