Vinicius Junior's Struggles Deepen—How Long Before Mourinho Loses His Cool?

Any remaining hopes that Vinícius Júnior simply needed a high-profile moment to shake off his slow start to the campaign were thoroughly shattered within an hour at the Metropolitano on Sunday.

The numbers tell a brutal story. Throughout the 2–1 derby loss to Madrid rivals, the Brazilian contributed: zero shots on target, zero chances created, zero completed crosses and zero key passes. He also surrendered possession on seven occasions.

After 54 minutes, immediately after Dean Huijsen's red card, Mourinho opted to reshuffle his side and Vinícius Jr. paid the price. It marks the fourth consecutive match in which he has been withdrawn from the field.

Following a barely improved showing against Elche during the week, Vinícius Jr. took to social media to say "the goals will return … I can't keep missing so many." Right now, it reads more like a plea than a declaration from one of football's elite performers.

Mourinho's Patience Wearing Thin?

Mourinho steered clear of discussing anything beyond the officiating in his post-derby comments, but has been compelled to address Vinícius Jr.'s form in recent weeks, conceding that the winger "isn't performing at his best."

Prior to the new coach's appointment, many anticipated that the dynamic between Mourinho and Vinícius Jr.—two of football's more combustible personalities—could prove explosive. Yet it has so far failed to detonate. Publicly, the manager has stood by his star player in the face of persistent jeers and whistles from Madrid's own supporters, responding with the Portuguese saying: "You only throw stones at trees that bear fruit."

How long Mourinho's support holds during this slump remains to be seen, with Sunday's early substitution signaling that while he may back his star in front of the media, a guaranteed starting spot is far from assured.

MARCA reports that Mourinho's original intention was to rotate minutes evenly between Vinícius Jr. and Kylian Mbappé this season, so as to prevent any tension or perceived imbalance between the two. However, that plan has already "fallen apart" as Mbappé continues to thrive while Vinícius Jr. is repeatedly being pulled to the bench.

Real Madrid already find themselves six points behind Barcelona after just seven La Liga fixtures, and Vinícius Jr.—rightly or wrongly—is rapidly becoming a lightning rod for supporter discontent. With Arda Güler catching the eye on the right with his creative flair and record acquisition Yan Diomande pushing for a starting berth, there is now genuine pressure to rethink the lineup following the international break.

Vinícius Jr.'s Form Analyzed

Eight matches into the 2026–27 season, Vinícius Jr. has managed just one goal in 625 minutes of football—scored in a 4–1 home victory over Real Sociedad in the club's opening home fixture of the campaign.

To his credit, he has always been a player who operates in streaks, and he does still have three assists to his name this term. He earned the penalty—albeit missed—and set up a disallowed goal in the loss to Real Betis. There have been some encouraging flickers.

The visit to Atlético Madrid might have seemed the ideal stage for the 2024 Ballon d'Or runner-up to reignite his spark. Vinícius Jr. may not boast an impressive record against the city rivals (two goals in 14 outings), but he netted twice in the 3–2 victory over Atleti back in March and has historically responded defiantly to the hostility he receives from opposition supporters.

Instead, in defeat at the Metropolitano, the 26-year-old produced his most toothless display of the season and appeared to shrink against a far more driven and combative opponent.

Vinícius Jr. in La Liga 2026-27

The issue is not purely a mental one, as longstanding tactical concerns have resurfaced. Every Real Madrid manager must engage in a game of "galáctico Tetris," attempting to find a way to, somehow, fit every superstar into a system that still functions cohesively as a unit.

A widely shared graphic from L'Equipe following the match illustrated how Vinícius Jr. and Mbappé's average positions in Sunday's defeat were almost identical, with both players drawn to the same stretch of space along the left flank. Mourinho's insistence on a 4-2-3-1 shape appears to be squeezing Vinícius Jr. out, yet—given his current form—it is difficult to make the case that the system should be rebuilt around him.

The Vinícius Jr.–Mbappé puzzle is not the only challenge Mourinho faces in terms of team balance, but it may well be the one that ultimately defines his tenure.

The Contract Issue

The elephant in the room is that had Vinícius Jr. not penned a lucrative contract extension through 2032 last month and instead accepted an offer from Arsenal, Madrid's squad would likely look more harmonious—but realistically, that was never a genuine possibility.

Vinícius Jr. was and remains far too important an asset for Madrid to release, and symbolically, the world's biggest club cannot afford to be seen as one willing to entertain the sale of key players in their prime years.

Nevertheless, the prolonged nature of the contract talks and the flirtation with Arsenal left a sour feeling among those Madrid supporters who need little prompting to turn on their own players.

The Brazilian is no newcomer to criticism from his own fanbase, but when his tree ceases to bear fruit, the situation only grows more difficult.

Should he rediscover his scoring touch, the contract saga may be swiftly consigned to memory by Real Madrid fans, but for now the situation is only deepening a sense of unease at the club, given the disappointing start to the season and the still-fresh wounds of last season's turbulence.