Vinicius Junior ‘replaced by doppelganger’ in bizarre conspiracy theory over Real Madrid form

Vinicius Junior’s dip in form for Real Madrid has sparked an extraordinary conspiracy theory in Brazil claiming that the forward disappeared and was replaced by a lookalike to honour his advertising contracts.

The story has spread widely on social media in recent days, attracting coverage from Spanish newspaper Marca. Vinicius is reportedly at risk of losing his place in the starting XI used by Portuguese manager Jose Mourinho after producing below-par performances this season.

Supporters of the theory claim the player seen at Brazil’s training camp and in the match against Australia is not the real Vinicius. One detail cited online is that “Brazil Vinicius” apparently does not have the tattoo on his thigh seen on “Real Madrid Vinicius”.

A post published by Lives Foot on 28 September 2026 described the claim as a theory circulating in Brazil. It alleged that Vinicius had vanished in mysterious circumstances and been replaced by a double who resembled him so that his commercial commitments could continue.

Marca also reported on an even more extreme version of the story, which claims that the CIA, the Rothschild family and “the elites” killed Vinicius and replaced him after the World Cup. The Rothschilds are described in the report as an influential European family of German-Jewish origin that established major banking and financial institutions in the late 18th century.

Supporters of the conspiracy have pointed to apparent changes in Vinicius’ facial appearance as further supposed evidence. The theory is said to have emerged mainly on Brazilian forums and TikTok accounts during September.

Another version links changes to the forward’s physique and the alleged appearance of a double to a supposed alien invasion during the World Cup. That claim says extraterrestrials abducted Vinicius and Neymar.

Brazilian clairvoyant Fu Bahiana discussed the idea in a video that was widely shared around the world.

“I have to tell you that I dreamed again about aliens invading a football stadium in Miami,” she said. “I clearly saw how they abducted the players on the first ship that arrived. I was inside that ship. When I boarded, the mother ship arrived and abducted thousands of people from the stadium. I saw screaming, crying and unimaginable suffering.”

The claims were also circulated in posts dated 25 September 2026, including one stating that the CIA, the Rothschilds and the elites had killed Vinicius and replaced him after the World Cup.

Marca concluded that people close to Vinicius, as well as Real Madrid, were completely ignoring the “meaningless false stories and reports” that had appeared online.