OFFICIAL: Vinicius to miss El Clasico after receiving heavy ban

Vinícius Júnior has been handed a four-match LaLiga suspension by the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), ruling the Real Madrid forward out of the October 25 El Clásico against Barcelona after his dismissal against Villarreal.

The disciplinary committee imposed two matches for pulling Villarreal defender Nathan Saliba’s hair and another two for his aggressive protests towards the referee after receiving a straight red card.

The punishment covers Real Madrid’s next four league fixtures against Sevilla, Barcelona, Racing Santander and Valencia.

The incident occurred during Real Madrid’s 1-0 victory over Villarreal at the Santiago Bernabéu on Saturday, October 10. 

Vinícius, who had started on the bench, was sent off in the 73rd minute after referee Isidro Díaz de Mera reviewed footage of his confrontation with Saliba.

The referee’s report stated that Vinícius pulled the defender’s hair while the ball was in play but was not being contested between the two players. 

The action came during the build-up to what appeared to be a second Madrid goal, finished by the Brazilian, which was subsequently disallowed.

Vinícius then protested the decision aggressively, continuing to confront the referee after his dismissal. According to the match report, teammates had to restrain him. 

The disciplinary committee treated the hair-pull and the subsequent protests as separate offences, imposing the minimum two-match punishment for each.

The suspension removes the Brazilian from four important league fixtures, including the first El Clásico of the 2026/27 season.

Real Madrid host Sevilla on October 18 before travelling to Barcelona’s Spotify Camp Nou on October 25. They then visit Racing Santander on November 1 and Valencia on November 7. 

Vinícius is expected to return to LALIGA action after the international break, with Celta Vigo scheduled as Madrid’s next league opponent on November 22. 

The ban applies to domestic league matches, meaning Vinícius remains eligible for Real Madrid’s Champions League fixtures during the suspension. Madrid face Roma on Wednesday, October 14, and RB Leipzig on October 21.

Real Madrid challenged the disciplinary case, arguing that the footage did not establish grounds for the punishment. The committee rejected the appeal, stating that the images were consistent with the referee’s account and showed an unmistakable pull of Saliba’s hair outside a direct contest for the ball.

The ruling also treated Vinícius’s reaction to the red card as a distinct act of misconduct rather than part of the original incident. That distinction proved decisive in extending the suspension from two matches to four.