Vinicius Junior red card: How Spanish, Brazilian media reacted as Real Madrid star faces El Clasico ban risk

Vinicius Junior and unbridled chaos often go hand in hand when the Brazilian pulls on the Real Madrid shirt, and it was no different when Los Blancos hosted Villarreal in Saturday's La Liga scrap.

The winger started as a substitute following his exploits with Brazil during the international break, a decision from Jose Mourinho that paid dividends as Yan Diomande struck the only goal in a 1-0 Real Madrid win.

Vinicius had already been introduced for Trent Alexander-Arnold by the time Diomande drew first blood, and the South American briefly thought he had doubled Los Blancos' advantage in the 72nd minute.

However, celebration swiftly became condemnation, as replays showed that Vinicius inexplicably pulled the hair of Villarreal midfielder Nathan Saliba, leading to the goal being disallowed and the winger receiving a straight red card for violent conduct.

Vinicius protested furiously with referee Isidro Diaz de Mera Escuderos before reluctantly trudging off the pitch, but he ultimately apologised on social media ahead of an impending suspension.

How Spanish, Brazilian media reacted to Vinicius Junior red card in Real Madrid win

Vinicius Jr. fue expulsado del partido ante el Villarreal por una agresión previa a lo que había sido el segundo gol del Madrid ??. https://t.co/XRQoClHOwp
— ESPN Deportes (@ESPNDeportes) October 10, 2026

The 26-year-old will definitely miss the visit of Sevilla to the Bernabeu next Sunday, and there is a risk that his ban could be extended to the trip to Clasico rivals Barcelona on October 25.

Vinicius was a bright spark in the early stages of his cameo, but his red card overshadowed a previous positive impact, as AS claimed that the winger went "from everything to nothing" and was a "game-changer" in both the good and bad sense.

Meanwhile, Mundo Deportivo labelled Vinicius's hair pull on Saliba an "act of aggression" and described the Brazilian as a "tricky subject" following his latest controversial incident.

Goal Brasil slammed the 26-year-old for his "terrible attitude" and "extremely unsportsmanlike conduct" in the lead-up to his disallowed goal, and a separate report from Goal BR gave him a mere 3/10 rating owing to a 'disastrous' ending.

However, Defensa Central was more measured in its assessment, awarding Vinicius a 6.5/10 and praising the winger for "revolutionising" the game before his dismissal.

Likewise, Managing Madrid gave Vinicius a respectable 6/10 thanks to his "outstanding" initial impact, albeit one that was 'overshadowed' by his red card-worthy offence and contributed to a "bizarre" performance overall.

Jose Mourinho snubs Real Madrid press conference after Vinicius Junior red card

Journalists awaiting an immediate reaction from Mourinho after the game were left disappointed, as the Real Madrid manager refused to hold his post-game press conference so as to avoid the risk of his own ban for any controversial comments.

Real Madrid return to action on Wednesday evening when they travel to Roma in the Champions League, a game which Vinicius will be available for amid an impending domestic ban.

The 26-year-old has scored one goal and set up three more in nine appearances so far this season for Real Madrid, who sit third in the La Liga table, six points behind leaders Barcelona.