Real Madrid fury grows as 171 fouls fuel fresh refereeing concerns

Real Madrid’s players believe opponents are being allowed to foul them too often without sufficient action from referees, with their frustration intensifying after the 26 fouls awarded in their favour against Valencia at Mestalla.

The match, in which Real Madrid were fouled once every three and a half minutes on average, was the club’s most foul-heavy game of the current La Liga season. Inside the dressing room, the result has reinforced a growing belief that the team is not receiving enough protection.

According to Spanish newspaper AS, Real Madrid’s players feel the scale of the fouling has become excessive and that the situation requires intervention. Complaints about refereeing have been made publicly and repeatedly on the club’s official channel, but the Valencia match has now taken the issue into the dressing room.

Opta’s records support the players’ concerns. Real Madrid have been involved in the three matches in recent La Liga seasons in which opponents committed 26 fouls or more against them.

The latest game is joint-second on that list alongside the match against Getafe in December 2024, when Real Madrid were also fouled 26 times. The highest figure came in another meeting with Getafe in October 2025, when the opposition committed 27 fouls.

Real Madrid lead league foul count

After 12 rounds of the current season, Real Madrid lead La Liga for fouls suffered, with 171 – an average of 14.2 per match.

Racing are second on 161, followed by Sevilla on 155. The gap is particularly notable when compared with Real Madrid’s closest rivals. Atletico Madrid are third from bottom in the ranking with 113 fouls suffered, while Barcelona are second from bottom on 108.

That means Atletico Madrid have been fouled 58 fewer times than Real Madrid, with Barcelona’s total 63 lower.

The individual figures tell a similar story. Jude Bellingham is the most fouled player in La Liga, having been the victim of 31 offences, ahead of Pablo Ibanez on 26.

Four Real Madrid players are among the top 10. Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe share fifth place with 23 fouls each, while Arda Guler is 10th on 21. Barcelona’s first representative is Lamine Yamal in 13th with 18, while Atletico Madrid’s highest-ranked player is Giuliano Simeone in 36th with 14.

Bellingham was surprisingly fouled only once against Valencia, although Kylian Mbappe was targeted six times and Arda Guler four. Marc Cucurella was also fouled four times.

His duels with Maffeo included several incidents which Real Madrid felt could have warranted yellow cards but did not. Players believe referees could have intervened more in matches where fouls are not only frequent but persistent.

Bernardo Silva said: “It was a difficult match, in difficult conditions too, against an aggressive team. The referee also allowed them to play with a great deal of strength and aggression, which made things difficult for us.”

His comments contrasted with Jose Mourinho’s strong praise for referee Hernandez Maeso, whose performance he described as “excellent”.

Real Madrid now enter the international break, but the issue is expected to return when domestic football resumes. The club’s listed schedule includes Tavernes de la Valldigna in the Copa del Rey on 10 November 2026, Valencia against Real Madrid in La Liga on 21 November 2026, and Celta Vigo.