‘They Forgot’—Vinicius Jr’s Contrasting Public, Private Response to Real Madrid Red Card

Vinícius Júnior offered a public apology after he was sent off for pulling the hair of Villarreal defender Nathan Saliba during Real Madrid’s hotly controversial 1–0 win on Saturday night. However, the Brazilian’s camp reportedly questioned the consistency of La Liga’s referees in a response with a different tone.

It was quite the two minutes for Madrid’s No. 7. With the hosts already in front thanks to Yan Diomande’s crisp swipe into the bottom corner, Vinícius Jr thought he had doubled their lead and broken his seven-game goal drought. Wild celebrations ensued, with José Mourinho awkwardly making his way across the pitch, half-running, half-jogging with all the commitment of a commuter vaguely embarrassed to be running after their bus.

That scrum was soon broken up by referee Isidro Díaz Mera, who was directed to the touchline by the video assistant referee (VAR), Alejandro Muñiz, to take another look at the footage. Upon review, it was clear that Vinícius Jr had a handful of Saliba’s hair before darting past him to meeting Jude Bellingham’s deft cutback in the penalty box.

The goal was chalked off and, to the consternation of a boiling Bernabéu, Vinícius Jr was shown a straight red card.

Timeline of Events

69:54: Vinícius Jr clearly tugs Saliba’s hair.
70:03: An excellent run down the left wing from Bellingham is capped off by Vinícius Jr
70: 17: Mourinho joins in the celebration
71:19: Referee Isidro Díaz Mera goes to the pitchside monitor to review the footage
71:57: Vinícius Jr is shown a straight red card which prompts a fracas
72:15: Thanks to the intervention of his teammates, Vinícius Jr makes his way down the tunnel

Madrid hung on to all three points across the final 20 minutes and Vinícius Jr saw the bright side on social media. “The joy continues,” he wrote on Instagram. “My apologies to my team and the fans.”

However, a separate response offered up by “a source close to” Vinícius Jr told The Athletic: “It [the red card] is fair, but they forgot the rule against Valencia.”

This is in reference to Real Madrid’s 2–1 win away to Valencia in January 2025. On that occasion, the hosts’ goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski appeared to pull the hair of Vinícius Jr, who reacted by shoving him to the ground. Madrid’s divisive forward was dismissed for violent conduct while Dimitrievski went curiously unpunished.

“It’s difficult being in his shoes,” Real Madrid’s manager at the time, Carlo Ancelotti, said of Vinícius Jr. “It’s not easy to endure everything he goes through, including the insults. It’s not simple, but he’s trying to improve. He’s upset about it and has apologized.”

Should Vinicius Jr Have Been Sent Off According to the Laws of the Game?

Vinícius Júnior (left) pulling Nathan Saliba’s hair. — Vinícius Júnior (left) didn’t have much of a case. | ESPN UK/Disney+

Hair pulling has become an oddly hot topic in recent years. Three players were sent off for the offense in the 2025–26 Premier League season alone, prompting England’s law makers to apply a more lenient approach when judging these tugs. Yet, given the force with which Vinícius Jr yanked Saliba’s mass of curls, he didn’t have much of a defense.

As per Law 12, hair pulling is considered violent conduct, which is described as “when a player uses or attempts to use excessive force or brutality against an opponent when not challenging for the ball.” This results in a straight red card and, typically, a three-match ban.

Considering Real Madrid face Barcelona in two weeks’ time, Vinícius Jr’s indiscretion could have serious repercussions.

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