Madrid’s 1-0 home win over Villarreal has left Vinicius Junior facing an awkward October in Spain. The Brazilian forward was sent off at the Santiago Bernabéu on Saturday, his third dismissal across nine seasons with Real Madrid, and now waits to learn the full cost of the incident.
Vinicius was dismissed directly after pulling the hair of Villarreal midfielder Nathan Saliba during a Madrid counterattack. He finished the move himself, but the goal was ruled out before the red card followed.
Quick facts
- Real Madrid beat Villarreal 1-0 in La Liga’s eighth round.
- Vinicius Junior has received three red cards in 384 official appearances for Madrid.
- He has also collected 73 yellow cards for the club.
- The Villarreal dismissal came on 10 October 2026 for pulling Saliba’s hair.
- He will miss the league match against Sevilla and could also be unavailable for Barcelona on 25 October.
The referee, Isidro Díaz de Mera, wrote in his post-match report that Vinicius protested the decision loudly and adopted an aggressive manner after being sent off. The forward later issued an apology on social media.
Jude Bellingham was among the Madrid players to respond publicly, telling his teammate that he would remain at his side. Vinicius also received backing from José Mourinho.
The Villarreal incident is the latest in a disciplinary record that has often intersected with difficult meetings against Valencia. His first straight red arrived at Mestalla in May 2023, following an incident involving Hugo Duro during a match overshadowed by racist abuse aimed at Vinicius. Spain’s football federation subsequently overturned that dismissal.
A second direct sending-off came against Valencia in January 2025. After a confrontation with goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski, the referee reviewed the episode on VAR and produced a red card, leading to a two-match ban.
Mourinho did not hold a post-match press conference after the Villarreal victory. He was understood to be upset by the refereeing and chose not to risk comments that could bring a sanction; Real Madrid made no formal statement.
Vinicius is certain to sit out Sunday’s La Liga trip against Sevilla. If the disciplinary panel imposes a two-game suspension, he would also miss Madrid’s Barcelona fixture later in the month.
Before that domestic test, Madrid travel to Rome for Wednesday’s Champions League league-phase match against Roma. It is the second European game of their 2026-27 campaign, with the Bernabéu club heading into it without one of their most influential attackers.
