Madrid’s Bernabéu was celebrating what appeared to be Vinícius Júnior’s second goal of the season when the evening turned sharply against the Brazilian. Introduced from the bench to add pace alongside Kylian Mbappé and Diomande, Vinícius finished a Real Madrid break from Álvaro Carreras’ pass to seemingly make it 2-0 against Villarreal.
The goal did not stand. Villarreal’s protests sent the referee to the video screen, where an earlier incident came into focus: Vinícius had pulled Nathan Saliba’s hair before beginning his run towards the penalty area. The referee ruled that the offence required a dismissal, cancelled the goal and showed the forward a red card.
Madrid’s players had initially been celebrating near the corner flag, with José Mourinho also caught up in the moment, while those on the pitch waited for the VAR decision without understanding the delay. Vinícius’s expression changed as the review unfolded. After the red card, he reacted angrily towards the official and had to be held back by team-mates amid whistles and boos inside the stadium. The home crowd’s complaints eased once the replay of the incident was shown.
A third official dismissal
The sending-off against Villarreal on 10 October adds another difficult entry to a disciplinary record that has often accompanied Vinícius’s considerable contribution to Madrid. The winger has delivered major moments for the club, including in the Champions League final at Wembley, but has repeatedly found himself at the centre of confrontations involving opponents, referees and supporters, as well as episodes connected to racist abuse.
It was his third official red card. His first came at Mestalla against Valencia on 21 May 2023, followed by another dismissal in Valencia on 3 January 2025. The Bernabéu incident against Villarreal now becomes the latest setback for a player whose brief cameo had promised to be decisive before VAR overturned the mood of the night.
