Vinicius Jr. sent off for hair-pulling; Real Madrid beats Villarreal 1-0

Real Madrid defeated Villarreal 1-0 on October 10, 2026, in La Liga matchday 8, but the victory was overshadowed by Vinicius Jr.'s straight red card expulsion. In the 71st minute, after Vinicius appeared to score a second goal off a cut-back from Jude Bellingham, the VAR intervention ruled the goal out and resulted in his immediate dismissal. The infraction: Vinicius pulled Nathan Saliba's hair during the build-up play in midfield, an action the referee Isidro Díaz de Mera deemed violent conduct warranting a direct red card.

Yan Diomande had given Madrid the lead in the 62nd minute with his first goal for the club, a strike from a Federico Valverde pass into the bottom-left corner. Vinicius had entered as a substitute in the 52nd minute, replacing defender Trent Alexander-Arnold. Madrid held on for the full win despite playing the final 19 minutes with ten men, with Thibault Courtois making crucial late saves.

The expulsion carries potential match suspension. Under La Liga regulations, a straight red card for violent conduct without the possibility to play the ball typically results in a minimum two-match ban, potentially extending to four matches in severe cases. If a two-match suspension is imposed, Vinicius would miss Real Madrid's next fixture against Seville on October 18 and potentially the Clásico against Barcelona on October 25. Vinicius expressed frustration on social media, writing "Joy continues... Forgive me, my team and fans." Real Madrid midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni questioned the referee's decision, stating "I don't understand what happens with the referees. With that red card, I don't understand." Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho did not attend the post-match press conference.