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Just months ago, Vinícius Júnior was celebrating a massive six-year contract renewal, vowing his commitment to Real Madrid "forever."
Fast forward to mid-October and the No. 7 is struggling to find anything worth celebrating. Vinícius Jr has endured a miserable start to the campaign, finding the net just once in 10 appearances across all competitions.
Perhaps even more alarming is his overall level of performance for both club and country. Vinícius Jr is one-dimensional down the left side, stuck on repeat trying to dribble past multiple defenders only to surrender possession. There's minimal creativity from his right foot, and even worse finishing. He's also shown less willingness to track back than ever, which is saying a lot.
To make matters worse, Vinícius Jr was shown a red card in the team's 1–0 victory over Villarreal and received a four-game ban for grabbing Nathan Saliba's hair and then confronting the referee.
Now, the Brazil international cannot return to La Liga action until after the November international break, opening the door for blockbuster summer arrival Yan Diomande to make the left wing his own.
No One Is Irreplaceable at Real Madrid
The idea of Vinícius Jr losing his place in Real Madrid's starting lineup would have seemed absurd just two years ago. The Brazilian was the finest winger on the planet during a 2023–24 season that culminated in the Champions League title, La Liga crown and Spanish Super Cup for Los Blancos.
He finished runner-up in the Ballon d'Or standings and was the face of the world's biggest club. But little has gone to plan for Vinícius Jr in the time since. The 26-year-old struggled to build chemistry with Kylian Mbappé, clashed with Xabi Alonso and now appears closer to being dropped than scoring a goal.
Vinícius Jr admitted during the September-October international break that he needed "some confidence" amid his poor form, only to be sent off in his first match back for Real Madrid. He was then substituted after just 59 minutes against Roma in midweek, forced to watch from the bench as his side completed a memorable Champions League comeback.
As Vinícius Jr knows all too well, results matter more than any individual at Real Madrid. He had a front-row seat when the club showed legends like Sergio Ramos and Luka Modrić the exit. He arrived one season after Cristiano Ronaldo received the same treatment. He also witnessed Los Blancos shopping Rodrygo around two summers ago after the once-trusted forward hit a rough patch.
Silverware is the ultimate goal. Trophies set the standard. It's why the Bernabéu faithful have booed the team repeatedly throughout the past two seasons. Vinícius Jr has borne the brunt of those whistles during that period, a harsh reminder that past glories count for nothing at Real Madrid — it's only about the next title, and whether the key players are helping deliver it.
The pressure only intensifies when a hungry young player is eager to prove himself more capable than an underperforming star. The worst part for Vinícius Jr? He can't even compete with Diomande now that he's serving a suspension.
Diomande Handed Rare Opportunity
There's a long list of left wingers who have tried and failed to dislodge Vinícius Jr at Real Madrid. Rodrygo had to adapt to the right side. Mbappé shifted to centre forward. Eden Hazard had a notoriously dismal time trying to claim the position. Diomande began this season on the bench, repeatedly overlooked despite his staggering transfer fee.
But with Vinícius Jr suspended for four matches, Diomande now has the chance to stake his claim. The teenager already has a goal and two assists in his last three starts, and now has the full run of the left flank to demonstrate why Los Blancos paid a club-record fee of up to €140 million ($157.3 million) to sign him.
Should Diomande impress, he has a genuine shot at holding onto the starting berth even beyond the team's next four La Liga fixtures against Sevilla, Barcelona, Racing Santander and Valencia. Mourinho has been handling Vinícius Jr with care so far, but the Portuguese manager needs results more than he needs his star winger kept content.
If Real Madrid go on a winning run and somehow defeat Barcelona without Vinícius Jr, it would be nearly impossible to simply slot the struggling Brazilian back into the lineup. The goals aren't there. The assists aren't there. The defensive effort isn't there. He would be earning minutes purely on reputation, while a talent like Diomande potentially wastes away on the bench.
The best-case scenario for Vinícius Jr would be for the young forward to struggle, eliminating any debate about the No. 7 reclaiming the left wing upon his return. But what a fall from grace it would be if Vinícius Jr wins back his starting spot simply by default.
The One Thing Working in Vinícius Jr's Favor
Even if Real Madrid enjoy a strong run heading into the November international break, it doesn't automatically mean Vinícius Jr will be kept out of the picture once domestic football resumes. After all, the team produced its best performances last season while Mbappé was sidelined, yet the Frenchman still walked back into the starting XI once he recovered from injury.
Los Blancos went from a five-game winning streak — which included victories over Manchester City twice and Atlético Madrid — to a four-game winless run once Mbappé reclaimed his starting spot in the spring of 2025–26.
Despite the evidence suggesting otherwise, the club was determined to make Mbappé work within the team. Vinícius Jr will be hoping for the same treatment when he returns from suspension.
But it remains to be seen whether the club has learned from last season's errors. Forcing Mbappé back into a team that was firing on all cylinders yielded zero trophies. Doing the same with Vinícius Jr risks the same outcome — one that Mourinho and club president Florentino Pérez are desperate to avoid.