Alvaro Arbeloa’s Defense of Vinicius Junior Could Have Unintended Consequences

The Brazil international has found the back of the net just twice in his last 22 appearances.

Vinicius Junior has underwhelmed in 2025–26. | Thomas Coex/AFP/Getty Images

Real Madrid boss Álvaro Arbeloa emphatically said Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Junior and Federico Valverde have his “full confidence” despite the heavy criticism bearing down on the three players in recent weeks.

The trio of superstars failed to have any impact in Los Blancos’ poor 4–2 defeat to Benfica in the Champions League, increasing the already heavy scrutiny on the collection of individuals in Real Madrid’s dressing room. Kylian Mbappé and Thibaut Courtois did not come out unscathed either despite doing all they could to keep their team the game.

Murmurs started drifting throughout the Spanish capital about squad rotations or even possibly benching some of the big names in the aftermath of such a disappointing night in Lisbon, but Arbeloa was hearing none of it. “I understand the football debates. But I always want to have the best players on the pitch.

“The more minutes they can play for me, at the disposal of the team, the better. These are players who are capable of deciding a match at any minute. There will be people who aren’t Madrid fans who don’t want them on the pitch. I imagine that Madrid fans want their best players to always be available and on the pitch.

“The five players you said are players who, on a world level, can be in the top 10. They have my full confidence. It’s not my confidence, it’s their performance that puts them on the field,” Arbeloa finished.

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Arbeloa’s Unwavering Confidence Is a Blessing and a Curse

Álvaro Arbeloa took over Real Madrid from Xabi Alonso. | Alberto Gardin/NurPhoto/Getty Images

One of Arbeloa’s biggest strengths as Real Madrid’s new manager is the support he bleeds for each and every player in white. The Spaniard made it a point to infuse as much confidence in his floundering squad as possible, and the results paid off almost instantly.

After a largely rotated team failed to get past second-tier Albacete in Arbeloa’s debut on the touchline, the strongest players in white returned to the fold and strung together three wins in a row. Los Blancos scored 10 goals and conceded just one during that stretch.

The Spanish giants looked to have rediscovered their confidence, none more so than Vinicius Jr, whose strained relationship with Xabi Alonso marred not only the first half of his season, but the entire team’s. Yet one stunning defeat has brought Real Madrid back down to the earth.

The criticism hanging over the big names at the club is not unwarranted, especially for the Brazil international, who has just two goals in his last 22 appearances. Question marks also surround Valverde’s place in the team once Trent Alexander-Arnold takes back the right flank; the Uruguayan was remarkably poor in his return to the midfield in the Spanish Super Cup final.

Backing the players in public—and private—does well to re-establish a sense of unity in an otherwise fractured dressing room, but it does underperforming stars no favors. A sense of accountability needs to find its way to the Bernabéu if the team wants to reach its full potential and regain the full support of its fans.

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Vinicius Jr Pledged His Future to Real Madrid—But at What Cost?

Vinicius Jr has yet to ink a new deal with Real Madrid. | Miguel Lemos/NurPhoto/Getty Images

Along with his struggles on the pitch and his public falling out with Alonso, Vinicius Jr’s stalled contract negotiations cast a shadow on his 2025–26. The winger began talks to extend his deal, which currently expires in June 2027, last January but has made little headway.

Vinicius Jr is thought to be asking for a historic €30 million ($34.6 million) per season, a number the club was previously unwilling to pay. Still, the tense talks and loud whistles from Real Madrid’s own fans have not deterred the 25-year-old’s loyalty from the club.

“I want to stay here for a long time,” Vinicius Jr said after the club’s 6–1 rout of Monaco. “There’s also a lot of talk about my contract renewal because I have another year left. We’re very relaxed about it. I trust [Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez], and he trusts me. We have a very good relationship, and we’ll sort things out at the right time. We’re in no hurry to do that.”

Yet with each passing performance in which the No. 7 underwhelms, his asking price sounds more and more farfetched, especially since it means paying him more than Mbappé, who almost single-handily carries the team’s goalscoring load.

Should Vinicius Jr fail to bounce back in the next four months, he could find himself without much leverage in contract talks with the Spanish giants, no matter how many times Arbeloa sings his praises to the media.

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