VINICIUS JR SPARKS MAJOR CONTROVERSY WITH SOCIAL MEDIA ACTIVITY HOURS AFTER REAL MADRID RED CARD

 

Vinicius was sent off for pulling the hair of an opponent during Real Madrid's 1-0 win over Villarreal.

Vinicius Junior has responded in telling fashion after he was sent off for pulling an opponent's hair during Real Madrid's 1-0 La Liga win over Villarreal.

Yan Diomande scored the only goal of the game for Real on 63 minutes, but Jose Mourinho's side were forced to protect their lead following Vinicius' straight red card.

The Brazilian thought he had scored Real's second goal on 72 minutes, but VAR spotted that he had pulled the hair of Villarreal's Nathan Saliba in the build-up and the goal was rescinded, with a red card awarded to Vinicius. The 26-year-old has reportedly since apologised to his team-mates for the incident - but his social media activity could land him in some hot water.

'What a disgrace...' - Vinicius' social media activity sums up red card feelings

Vinicius also apologised to fans on social media for his red card - though a re-post to his story appears to question other decisions against him this season.

On his Instagram page, he re-posted a post from a Vinicius Jr fan page - which has over 500,000 followers - that features a series of fouls on Vinicius from other players during the 2026/27 season that did not result in red cards.

Image: Instagram/@vinijr

The post is captioned: "And the one who gets the yellow and red is Vinicius, what a disgrace." Vinicius commented on the post with three laughing emojis.

While the Brazilian is clearly not questioning the decision to give him a red card, his apparent criticism of refereeing decisions towards other players compared to him will no doubt spark huge debate.

Jose Mourinho skips post-match press conference

According to Spanish outlet MARCA, Real manager Jose Mourinho refused to appear at the post-match press conference - for a reason most fans can probably guess.

It is claimed that Mourinho did not want to speak to the media due to his fury towards the refereeing of Isidro Diaz de Mera Escuderos, allegedly stating that he 'want[s] to be on the bench against Sevilla and Barcelona' in Real's upcoming matches.

Once again, no Real player conducted press duties either, meaning there was no post-match reaction in the press room from anybody connected with Los Blancos after the 1-0 win.

Midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni, though, did speak to Real Madrid TV over the Vinicius sending off.

"I don't know what's going on with the referees," he said. "With this red card, I don't understand. The most important thing is the victory."

For Diomande, his winning strike was the Ivorian's first competitive goal for Real after his club-record €125 million move from RB Leipzig last summer.

He may have to play an even more crucial rule when the next instalment of El Clasico takes place later in October. Vinicius is currently set to miss the upcoming La Liga fixture against Sevilla, but that ban could be extended to as high as three games for violent conduct should La Liga deem it necessary - which would rule him out of the away fixture against Barcelona on October 25.

Featured Image Credit: Getty

- Ryan Smart

WHAT VINICIUS JR TOLD ARSENAL BEFORE RENEWING WITH REAL MADRID

 

Vinicius Junior’s decision to extend his Real Madrid contract was communicated to Arsenal last Wednesday by both the player and his representatives, according to The Athletic.

Mikel Arteta wanted the Brazilian at the Emirates Stadium club, and the Gunners fancied their chances of bringing him to North London.

While there was never a formal agreement in place between Arsenal and Vinicius, personal terms between both parties would not have been an issue.

The 26-year-old was persuaded that the Premier League champions were serious about signing him due to the figures discussed during the meetings

The Gunners were willing to make a huge effort and break their salary structure to secure his services.

While they believed that their offer would make it difficult for Madrid to compete financially, things changed.

Los Blancos offered him an improved offer, which was enough to convince the Brazilian to stay and commit his future to the 15-time Champions League winners.

The La Liga club announced last Thursday that Vinicius had finally signed a contract renewal.

The player and his representatives expressed their gratitude to Arsenal for the treatment they had received.

They explained they were only turning the Gunners down because of Vinicius’ affection for Madrid and their significant financial effort to retain him.

Arteta is now moving on to other targets, but the fact that the North Londoners came close to signing one of the best and biggest players on the planet speaks volumes.

They will look to make similar moves in subsequent transfer windows, and establishing themselves as regular contenders for the Champions League remains the big goal.

- Alani Adefunmiloye

VINICIUS JR REACHES DECISION ON JOINING ARSENAL OR STAYING AT REAL MADRID, AS ULTIMATUM REACHED

Arsenal are continuing to monitor Vinicius Junior’s contract situation at Real Madrid, with sources confirming to TEAMtalk that the Gunners are being kept informed by the Brazilian’s representatives and intermediaries as negotiations over a new deal reach a pivotal stage.

The latest developments come after Real Madrid informed Vinicius that their current proposal represents their final offer.

TEAMtalk understands the Spanish giants have made it clear they will not improve their terms, believing they have reached the limit of what they are prepared to offer while maintaining their carefully managed wage structure.

Real remain determined to keep Vinicius and the player himself would still prefer to remain at the Santiago Bernabeu.

However, sources insist the situation is far from resolved.

We understand the biggest stumbling block is the signing-on bonus attached to a new contract.

Vinicius’ camp believe he deserves a package comparable to the one Kylian Mbappe received when he joined Real Madrid, with sources indicating they are seeking a figure close to the £85million signing bonus awarded to the France captain.

Real Madrid’s response has been firm.

Club officials have pointed out that Mbappe arrived as a free agent after the expiry of his Paris Saint-Germain contract, making his situation fundamentally different to that of a player already under contract at the club.

That disagreement has created months of deadlock.

Real Madrid have now informed Vinicius’ representatives there will be no further negotiations on improved financial terms.

The message is simple – accept the current offer or the club will consider other options.

Real Madrid won’t allow Vinicius Jr to leave via free agency

TEAMtalk understands Real remain unwilling to risk Vinicius entering the final year of his contract without an agreement in place.

If no breakthrough is reached, they would rather sanction a sale this summer than face the prospect of losing one of their biggest assets for nothing in 2027.

While the contract situation continues to dominate headlines, Real Madrid are pressing ahead with other business.

TEAMtalk understands Los Blancos expect to complete the signing of Yan Diomande this weekend, with talks continuing with RB Leipzig over the final details of the deal.

The highly-rated youngster is not viewed as a direct replacement for Vinicius, but his arrival would provide Jose Mourinho with greater attacking depth and another versatile option across the frontline.

Real’s plan is very much for Diomande and Vinicius to play together, not instead of one another, and everyone at the club remains hopeful that will be the case next season.

That is where Arsenal continue to watch developments closely. Sources have told TEAMtalk that the Gunners remain in contact with Vinicius’ camp and continue to receive updates on the situation.

Vinicius Jr favours Real Madrid stay over joining Arsenal

While Arsenal have enormous admiration for the Brazilian and have made clear they would be willing to offer him a hugely lucrative package, there has been no indication from the player that he is actively pushing to leave Madrid.

Indeed, those close to the negotiations continue to stress that Vinicius’ priority is still to remain in Spain.

However, Arsenal’s interest is genuine. TEAMtalk understands the prospect of living and playing in London is something Vinicius has discussed with those around him and is viewed positively.

Should negotiations with Madrid ultimately collapse, Arsenal believe they would be in a strong position to make their move.

Sources remain cautious over the likelihood of that scenario.

Vinicius expected to sign new Real Madrid contract

The overwhelming expectation among those involved is still that an agreement will eventually be reached and Vinicius will commit his long-term future to Real Madrid.

But unlike some reports suggesting the situation is already resolved, TEAMtalk understands there is still significant work to do before any contract is signed.

Until that happens, Arsenal will continue to keep a close eye on developments.

As one source told TEAMtalk: “Everyone still expects Vinicius to stay, but nobody can say it is guaranteed. Arsenal are informed about everything that is happening and they will be ready if the situation changes.”

- Graeme Bailey

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BENFICA RELEASES STATEMENT AMID REPORTS GIANLUCA PREATIANNI 'ADMITS' WHAT HE SAID TO VINICIUS JR

Benfica have released a statement following reports Gianluca Prestianni has now ‘admitted’ to teammates that he called Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr a ‘monkey’ earlier this month.

The alleged incident, which sparked widespread outrage among the football community, occurred during the first leg of the Champions League knockout phase play-off tie between the clubs on February 17.

Prestianni covered his mouth and said something to Vinicius Jr, who was criticised by Benfica manager Jose Mourinho for his celebrations after scoring early in the second half. Vini Jr immediately ran over to French referee Francois Letexier, who reacted by signalling the anti-racism gesture by crossing his arms. The match was subsequently halted for 10 minutes.

Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe accused Prestianni of calling his teammate a ‘monkey’ - an accusation strenuously denied by the Argentina international, who protested his innocence via social media after the match.

The 20-year-old wrote at the time: “I want to clarify that at no point did I direct racist insults at Vinícius Jr, who unfortunately misunderstood what he thought he heard. I have never been racist toward anyone.”

While Prestianni hasn’t been found guilty of any wrongdoing at the time of writing, he was suspended from Benfica’s second leg clash against Real Madrid this week. He trained with his teammates at the Bernabeu but his one-game provisional ban imposed by UEFA wasn’t overturned despite Benfica’s appeal.

Despite taking the lead in Madrid, Benfica lost the match 2-1. Goals either side of half-time from Aurelien Tchouameni and Vini Jr sent the Spanish giants through to the Champions League Round of 16.

Benfica React to Reports Prestianni Has 'Admitted' His Guilt

Reports in Portugal - via Yahoo - claim Prestianni has now admitted to Benfica’s players that he did call Vinicius Jr a ‘monkey’, despite initially pleading his innocence. However, this report has prompted a firm statement from Benfica, denying these reports are accurate. Per Sky Sports, Benfica have now said:

"Sport Lisboa e Benfica categorically denies that the player Prestianni has communicated to the squad or the club's structure that he has uttered a racist insult to the player Vinicius Jr, from Real Madrid.

"As has already been made public, the player apologised to his teammates for the incident that occurred during the match against Real Madrid, regretting the dimension and consequences of it and assuring everyone, as he has done since the first hour, that he is not racist."

If found guilty of racially abusing Vinicius Jr, Prestianni faces a minimum 10-game ban for breaking UEFA’s regulations on discriminatory behaviour. However, European football’s governing body have said the provisional ban is without prejudice, meaning Prestianni can still expect a fair hearing.

- Rob Swan

FELIPE MELO BLASTS 'RACIST ' PRESTIANNI

Felipe Melo could not tolerate the insult that the Argentine allegedly said to Vinicius on the field, so he did not take long to upload a video to his social media insulting Prestianni:

🗣 "Fire to the racists! And if you defend the racists, fire for you too. I'm sure Prestianni's wife must have cheated on him with a great Black man."

SIR LEWIS HAMILTON SHOWS SUPPORT FOR RACIALLY ABUSED VINÍCIUS JÚNIOR AT A UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE GAME

 

GIANNI INFANTINO WADES IN ON VINICIUS JR RACISM SAGA AS FIFA BOSS MAKES POST ION CLEAR

After Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr alleged Benfica player Gianluca Prestianni racially abused him, Gianni Infantino has stepped in and offered his point of view

Gianni Infantino has offered his thoughts on the ugliness between Benfica and Real Madrid(Image: YouTube/11Alive)

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has declared he is "shocked and saddened" by the incidents of alleged racism during the clash between Real Madrid and Benfica.

UEFA has opened an investigation after Vinicius Jr alleged Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni directed racist language at him. The Champions League encounter was halted for 10 minutes by referee Francois Letexier, with both teams departing the field shortly after Vinicius had put his team ahead.

Prestianni and Benfica have rejected the allegations. However, UEFA will now examine video evidence of the incident and interview both Prestianni and Vinicius Jr as part of their probe.

Infantino maintains those found responsible must be held accountable and face severe sanctions if proven guilty of racist behaviour. He said: "I was shocked and saddened to see the incident of alleged racism towards Vinícius Júnior in the UEFA Champions League match between Benfica and Real Madrid CF.

"There is absolutely no room for racism in our sport and in society. We need all the relevant stakeholders to take action and hold those responsible to account.

"At FIFA, through the Global Stand Against Racism and the Players' Voice Panel, we are committed to ensuring that players, officials and fans are respected and protected, and that appropriate action is taken when incidents occur.

"I commend referee François Letexier for activating the anti-racism protocol by using the arm gesture to stop the game and address the situation.

"FIFA and football shows full solidarity to victims of racism and any form of discrimination. I will always continue to reiterate: No to racism! No to any form of discrimination!"

Meanwhile, Vinicius Jr took to social media to condemn racists as "cowards" having been on the end of racist abuse throughout his career.

Vinicius Jr said he was racially abused by Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni during this altercation in Tuesday night's Champions League match(Image: Getty Images)

He said: "Racists are, above all, cowards. They need to put their shirts in their mouths to show how weak they are.

"But they have the protection of others who, theoretically, have an obligation to punish them. Nothing that happened today is new in my life or in my team's life.

"I received a yellow card for celebrating a goal. I still don't understand why. On the other hand, it was just a poorly executed protocol that served no purpose."

- Jeremy Cross

REAL MADRID SET TO SNUB BALLON D'OR AGAIN - HERE'S WHY

Real Madrid will once again snub the Ballon d'Or awards in 2025, after doing so in last year's edition - with the reason being that their long-standing feud with the competition's organisers hasn't subsided after Vinicius Jr was 'robbed' of the award this time last year.

The Real star came second in the award after scoring 24 goals in 39 games in the 2023/24 season, as well as scoring the winner at Wembley in their 2-0 Champions League final win over Borussia Dortmund. However, with club chiefs being agreed by the decision, this will be the second time they have turned down a place at the awards.

Real Madrid Chiefs Will 'Snub' 2025 Ballon d'Or Invite

Vinicus Jr's failure to win the 2024 award is the reason for their no-show

The feud began when Vinicius was 'widely' expected to win the Ballon d'Or last season, though it was reported late on that Manchester City star Rodri was instead going to win the award, leading to Real Madrid's delegation completely skipping the event in Paris, with the club instead 'kickstarting a formal protest against the committee'.

That will continue into this season's award, which is scheduled to take place on Monday, September 22 in Paris, with Real chiefs being unlikely to send any representatives this month.

That includes club officials and players, despite recent peace attempts between the club and FIFA, who were the initiators to try to solve the angst, but Real are maintaining their formal protest after raising objects as to how the scoring is done and how UEFA are involved in the process.

Indeed, a report by Marca (via the Daily Mail) states that Ballon d'Or chiefs flew to Spain to address the snub, with crunch talks being held with the La Liga giants. That was held in Madrid over the past few months, and the meeting was described as tense, ultimately ending without an agreement that would see Real return to the awards in September. Relations between the two have rarely been strained, with Real upholding their view that they have been given a 'historic robbery'.

Vinicius, Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham have been selected for the major gong, but it's thought that the award will go to either Ousmane Dembele or teenage sensation Lamine Yamal. The last Real Madrid player to win the Ballon d'Or was Karim Benzema in 2022, and they have 12 wins overall, the joint-most alongside Barcelona with Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modric, Alfredo di Stefano and Ronaldo Nazario being the recipients.

- Will Lancaster

CARLO ANCELOTTI"S TENURE AS BRAZIL COACH OFF TO A LUCK LUSTER START WITH GOALLESS DRAW AGAINST ECUADOR

The FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifying match against Ecuador on Thursday was Carlo Ancelotti’s first as Brazil coach since he replaced Dorival Junior, who had been sacked following a 4-1 thrashing at the hands of world champions Argentina in March, in the role.

Coach Carlo Ancelotti (right) looks on from the sidelines during Brazil's FIFA World Cup Qualifying match against Ecuador. Reuters

Carlo Ancelotti’s tenure as coach of Brazil men’s football team began on a rather lacklustre note, with the five-time world champions held to a goalless draw by Ecuador during their FIFA World Cup Qualifying match in Guayaquil, Ecuador on Thursday.

The Brazilians found it tough to penetrate Ecuador’s organised defence, with their best chance coming from Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr off a Gerson assist that was blocked by goalkeeper Gonzalo Valle. Vinicius had played under Ancelotti for four years during the latter’s second spell in charge of Madrid, which had ended last month .

Ecuador threatened in the second half when John Yeboah attempted a through ball, but striker Nilson Angulo was caught offside.

Ancelotti’s side created more chances, but failed to capitalise, with Richarlison squandering a well-placed pass from Vinicius Jr in the box and Casemiro’s powerful long-range shot being saved by Valle.

‘It’s only been two or three days’

“Of course we always have to improve, but little by little we’re getting better. It’s only been two or three days with a new coach. The dynamic is good, the atmosphere is good. I’m very happy to be back. The atmosphere is excellent,” Casemiro said after the match.

“Ancelotti hasn’t had time to show us his game plan yet. It’s only been two or three days of training,” Vinicius added.

Brazil remain in fourth place with 22 points. Ancelotti was appointed as the new coach only last month , tasked with pulling the team back from a difficult period — a challenging mission as they seek to become six-time world champions.

Their next opponents are third-placed Paraguay, who won 2–0 against Uruguay earlier.

Meanwhile, Ecuador are closer to qualifying, remaining in second place with 24 points. The top six teams qualify directly for next year’s World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada. They play ninth-placed Peru on Tuesday.

With Reuters inputs

REAL MADRID 4-0 OSASUNA | VINI JR DROPS AHAT-TRICK

Vinicius Junior of Real Madrid celebrates scoring his team's third goal during the LaLiga match between Real Madrid CF and CA Osasuna at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on November 09, 2024 in Madrid, Spain.

Image credit: Getty Images

Vinicius Jr scored a fine hat-trick as Real Madrid beat Osasuna 4-0 in a match overshadowed by Eder Militao's serious knee injury.

The Brazilian centre-back went down screaming in agony after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament when he jarred his right knee at a corner and was carried off the pitch on a stretcher with half an hour played, as 21-year old Raul Asencio replaced him for his Real debut.

A Real Madrid statement, external said that Militao "has been diagnosed with a complete tear of the anterior cruciate ligament with involvement of both menisci in his right leg" and will have surgery "in the coming days".

Speaking after the win, manager Carlo Ancelotti said: "Three injuries in the first half is quite rare.

"The demands of the schedule do not allow players to rest and be fresh. The risk of injuries is higher. It is a general thing, not just for us."

Vinicius' goals helped ensure the hosts got back to winning ways after two successive defeats.

The Brazilian forward opened the scoring when he cut in from the left and slotted past Osasuna goalkeeper Sergio Herrera into the far corner.

Jude Bellingham scored his first goal of the season, latching on to Asencio's super long ball from defence to dink over Herrera.

Vinicius found the net again after an hour thanks to Real goalkeeper Andriy Lunin's sublime ball up the field, rounding Herrera and tapping home.

Substitute Brahim Diaz stole the ball off Enzo Boyomo and slide it across to Vinicius who finished with ease for his hat-trick.

Despite the emphatic win, Real injury problems continued to mount as Rodrygo went off injured after 20 minutes and Lucas Vazquez could not continue after the break.

Right-back Dani Carvajal suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury last month, while centre-back David Alaba remains out with a knee injury.

The result means second-placed Real move six points behind leaders Barcelona. However Hansi Flick's side could increase the gap once more when they travel to Real Sociedad on Sunday (20:00 GMT).

- Marissa Thomas

PSG EYE REAL MADRID SUPERSTAR IN REVENGE MOVE FOLLOWING MBAPPÉ DEPARTURE

 Kylian Mbappé officially moved to Real Madrid last week following the Spanish club’s official announcement. The Frenchman penned a five-year deal with the La Liga giants, gearing up to shine as their next big star.

Nonetheless, his arrival does take away the star power already on the team with players like Vinicius Jr. The Brazilian already has two UEFA Champions League trophies to his resume and if he were to win the 2024 Copa América, the Real Madrid star would be the Ballon d’Or favorite this year.

Although it might not happen this year, could Mbappé taking away that spotlight from him cause the player to leave at some point? Journalist Mohamed Bouhafsi reports that PSG are interested in Vinicius Jr. but doesn’t reveal more information.

This could be the long plan for the Parisians to lure another star player to the French capital and possibly plot an act of revenge against Real Madrid. There’s also the possibility that Mbappé might want the player to leave at some point.

Still, it’s a transfer that probably won’t happen this summer and might only depend on Real Madrid’s success in the next couple of years. If both stars are able to coexist, then it likely won’t happen, but if there’s a rift, then the chance of a Vinicius departure could increase.

- Eduardo

VINICIUS JR BROKE DOWN DURING PRESS CONFERENCE | RACISM IS A CANCER IN SPAIN 🇪🇸

 

RIO FERDINAND HAS NAMED 12 PLAYERS HE CONSIDERS AS WORLD-CLASS AS A CONTROVERSIAL JUDE BELLINGHAM CLAIM WAS MADE

 

PA Wire

Since retiring from professional football, former Manchester United defender Ferdinand has been working as a pundit, often appearing on TNT Sports’ coverage.

On Wednesday night, Ferdinand was tasked with naming a list of world-class players.

The 12 players were - Ederson, Kyle Walker, Rodri, Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Jr, Harry Kane, Alisson, Virgil van Dijk, Kevin De Bruyne, Mohamed Salah, Kylian Mbappe, and Erling Haaland.

However, fellow pundit and former Arsenal man Martin Keown questioned whether Bellingham can be considered as world-class.

He said: “I think Bellingham is one I question. He’s in amazing form, what he’s doing at Real Madrid right now, but we look at Saka.

“Saka’s been the England Player of the Year. Bellingham hasn’t got a look in. Maybe Rio is being a bit mischievous with Arsenal fans.”

Ferdinand then explained: “They’ve actually got that list a little bit wrong, because Bellingham was on the list just below that on his own, edging into there. I think the thing that lets him not be on that list, for me right now, is just time. He will be there – he’s in world-class form. You just need that time – and that’s where I see Saka.

“Saka’s got that world-class potential, he just hasn’t been exposed to the knockout stages of the Champions League – the longevity is the difference. If you look at that list, you can see they’ve played in the top, most prestigious games and they’ve produced in those moments. And they’ve all done ridiculous things over a long period of time.”

Ferdinand received criticism from Arsenal fans after claiming Saka is not world-class, he said: “Not yet. Listen, I think Saka’s been unreal. I actually think he needs a bit of a rest, so many games for a young kid.

“But I think, it’s almost like what is world-class? He hasn’t done it in the Champions League, has he? I’m talking in the nitty-gritty stages. Saka’s top, don’t get me wrong. He’s not world-class yet.”

Marcus Chan

TOP 6 DRIBBLERS IN THE WORLD AT THE MOMENT

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Football dribbling is an essential component of the game, and football fans have always had a soft spot in their hearts for skilled dribblers.

Football requires dribbling for more than just moving the ball around; it also requires it to get past defenders and eliminate them from the play.

Skilled dribblers can frequently make a difference when teams sit deep inside their own halves to defend and look to hit the opposition on the break.

With their quick movements, agility, and burst of speed, they can get around obstacles and overcome such defences.

EXCLUSIVE: SOCCER-BRAZIL FORWARD VINICIUS JR TO LEAD NEW ANTI-RACISM COMMITTEE - FIFA

Getty

Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr will lead a special FIFA anti-racism committee made up of players who will suggest stricter punishments for discriminatory behaviour in football, president Gianni Infantino told Reuters on Thursday.

Brazil forward Vinicius was racially abused by fans when Madrid played Valencia in May, the 10th such incident involving the 22-year-old that LaLiga has reported to prosecutors this season.