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Vinícius Júnior issued a public apology after being dismissed for grabbing the hair of Villarreal defender Nathan Saliba during Real Madrid's fiercely disputed 1–0 victory on Saturday evening. Nevertheless, those close to the Brazilian star reportedly challenged the consistency of La Liga's officiating in a statement that struck a notably different tone.
It was quite the two-minute spell for Madrid's No. 7. With the hosts already ahead courtesy of Yan Diomande's clean strike into the bottom corner, Vinícius Jr believed he had doubled the advantage and ended his seven-match scoring drought. Jubilant celebrations followed, with José Mourinho making an awkward trek across the pitch, somewhere between a jog and a sprint, with the energy of a commuter mildly mortified to be chasing after their bus.
The celebrations were quickly halted by referee Isidro Díaz Mera, who was called to the sideline by video assistant referee (VAR) Alejandro Muñiz to review the incident. On closer inspection, it was evident that Vinícius Jr had grabbed a fistful of Saliba's hair before surging past him to connect with Jude Bellingham's delicate cutback inside the penalty area.
The goal was disallowed and, to the fury of a seething Bernabéu crowd, Vinícius Jr was issued a straight red card.
Timeline of Events
Madrid held on for all three points over the final 20 minutes, and Vinícius Jr chose to look on the bright side via social media. "The joy goes on," he posted on Instagram. "My apologies to my teammates and the supporters."
However, a contrasting statement from "a source close to" Vinícius Jr told The Athletic: "It [the red card] is fair, but they forgot the rule against Valencia."
This refers to Real Madrid's 2–1 away triumph over Valencia in January 2025. On that occasion, Valencia goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski appeared to pull Vinícius Jr's hair, prompting the forward to shove him to the ground. Madrid's polarizing attacker was sent off for violent conduct while Dimitrievski escaped any punishment whatsoever.
"It's difficult being in his position," said Real Madrid's then-manager Carlo Ancelotti of Vinícius Jr. "It's not easy to put up with everything he faces, including the abuse. It's not straightforward, but he's working on it. He's frustrated and has apologized."
Should Vinicius Jr Have Been Sent Off According to the Laws of the Game?
Hair pulling has emerged as a surprisingly contentious issue in recent seasons. Three players received red cards for the offense in the 2025–26 Premier League season alone, prompting English football authorities to adopt a more lenient stance when assessing such incidents. Yet, given the force with which Vinícius Jr wrenched Saliba's curly locks, he had little grounds for appeal.
Under Law 12, hair pulling is classified as violent conduct, defined as "when a player uses or attempts to use excessive force or brutality against an opponent when not challenging for the ball." This carries an automatic red card and, in most cases, a three-match suspension.
With Real Madrid set to face Barcelona in a fortnight, Vinícius Jr's moment of madness could carry significant consequences.