Vinicius Junior backed by Real Madrid fans after controversial Villarreal dismissal

Vinicius Junior was surrounded by a large group of Real Madrid supporters as he attempted to leave the Santiago Bernabeu after the contentious victory over Villarreal.

The Brazil forward’s car was blocked by fans outside the stadium, with supporters chanting his name enthusiastically and offering their backing despite the events of the match.

A video posted by El Chiringuito TV on X showed Vinicius leaving the ground while the crowd gathered around his vehicle. The footage, published on 10 October 2026, captured the reception the player received after a difficult and controversial night.

Vinicius began the match on the bench before coming on in the second half. He appeared to have scored Real Madrid’s second goal, but the effort was disallowed following a VAR review.

The forward was then shown a red card after pulling the hair of Villarreal defender Nathan Saliba. Vinicius reacted angrily to the decision and protested strongly to the referee before team-mates intervened and led him away.

Real Madrid were forced to play the closing stages with 10 men but held on for a 1-0 win, secured by Yan Diomande’s goal.

The dismissal came during a challenging period for Vinicius, whose form has dipped at the start of the season. He also lost his starting place against Villarreal to Diomande, who took advantage of the opportunity by scoring the winning goal.

Vinicius now faces the possibility of missing the Clasico against Barcelona on 25 October because of the suspension expected to follow his sending-off.

According to Cadena COPE, Real Madrid expect the player to receive a ban and hope an appeal can reduce its length. However, the club are also preparing for the possibility that Vinicius will be unavailable for the highly anticipated fixture.

The forward apologised to his team-mates and Real Madrid supporters after the match. He said the happiness of the victory remained, while expressing regret at leaving his colleagues to finish the game with one fewer player.

The incident has sparked criticism of Vinicius’ performances and renewed debate about his conduct on the pitch, while the prospect of missing the meeting with Barcelona has added to the pressure surrounding him.

However, the scenes outside the Santiago Bernabeu offered a different picture. The video showed that Vinicius continues to have strong support among sections of the Real Madrid fanbase, who surrounded his car and repeatedly chanted his name as he left the stadium.