Vinícius suspended for 4 matches, with 2 added for hair-pulling and 2 for protesting; misses El Clásico

Vinícius’ suspension has been confirmed at 4 matches. He received 2 matches for the hair-pulling foul and 2 more separately for protesting after being sent off. He will miss El Clásico but is eligible for the Champions League.

Translated from Korean with AI assistance. Read the original. Sources and original publication dates are retained.

Three-line summary

The Spanish Football Federation’s disciplinary committee gave Vinícius a 4-match domestic suspension on October 14.
The 4-match ban consists of 2 matches for grabbing an opponent’s hair and 2 matches for protesting to the referee after being sent off.
He will miss El Clásico on local time October 25, but this suspension does not apply to the Champions League.

Local time October 10, Villarreal match. Vinícius Júnior’s shot found the net. Just before that, he had grabbed the hair of midfielder Nathan Saliba of the opposing side. According to Cadena SER, video review caught this scene. After an on-field review, the referee disallowed the goal and ordered him off directly. Real Madrid still won 1-0.

Vinícius suspension: 4 matches, combined from 2 for hair-pulling and 2 for protest

Yonhap Newsreported that the Spanish Football Federation’s disciplinary committee on October 14 (local time) handed Vinícius a total of 4-match suspension.IUSPORTpublished the committee’s ruling, which shows that hair-pulling and protesting to the referee after being sent off were each given 2 matches each.

Violation	Suspension (matches)	Share (%)
Pulling an opponent’s hair	2	50
Protesting to the referee after being sent off	2	50
Total	4	100

The committee considered three issues. Real Madrid argued the contact was accidental, but the committee ruled that video cannot overturn the referee’s report. It also looked separately at whether the ball was in play and whether the two players were actually contesting the ball. The protest after being sent off was not tied to the original foul; it was punished as a separate violation.

Vinícius to miss 4 matches, including El Clásico; return reportedly against Celta in November

Goal reports show the missed matches, in order, are Sevilla, Barcelona, Racing Santander and Valencia. The second is El Clásico, on local time October 25. Korean outlets list it as the 26th, a difference due to Korea Standard Time.

Order	Opponent	Notes
1	Sevilla	—
2	Barcelona	El Clásico, local time October 25 (the 26th in Korea time)
3	Racing Santander	—
4	Valencia	—

The return date has only been reported, not officially announced by the club.AS reports that if the suspension stands, his league return would be against Celta, in a match scheduled in the November 20–23 window. Counting from the sending-off day, October 10, to November 20 gives at least 41 days.

Vinícius eligible for Champions League; starts vs AS Roma

According to Yonhap News and El País, this suspension applies only to Spanish domestic competitions. It has no effect on the UEFA Champions League. In fact, Vinícius started in the AS Roma match on October 15 (Korea time).

Vinícius himself denied intent. In an interview right after the Roma match, which AS reported on local time October 14, he said, “I was trying to get away from the player in front of me, but in the end it got tangled in the hair.” Reports differ on the timing of the sending-off: Yonhap News lists the 27th minute of the second half, while IUSPORT lists the 73rd minute. Without the original referee report, the exact minute is not confirmed.

Vinícius’ record: 375 matches, 128 goals; sent off 65 days after contract extended to 2032

Real Madrid’s official tally for Vinícius’ club career as of July 12, 2026 is 375 matches and 128 goals, with 14 titles won. Dividing 128 by 375 gives 0.34 goals per match. This figure is as of July and does not include this season’s matches.

The club announced on August 6 that it had extended his contract through 2032. The sending-off came 65 days later. The salary and total value of the new contract have not been confirmed.

Missing El Clásico is based on the currently announced suspension. As of 11:00 on October 15, 2026, no appeal or stay-of-execution decision had been confirmed in the reports above from Yonhap News, AS, Goal and others.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Why is Vinícius’ suspension 4 matches?

The disciplinary committee treated pulling an opponent’s hair and protesting to the referee after being sent off as separate violations, and gave each 2 matches. One foul did not receive 4 matches.

Q. Is Vinícius’ absence from El Clásico confirmed?

Under the currently announced suspension, he will miss El Clásico on local time October 25 (the 26th in Korea time). No further appeal or stay-of-execution decision has been confirmed.

Q. Can Vinícius play in the Champions League?

Yes. This suspension applies only to Spanish domestic competitions, and Vinícius started in the AS Roma match on October 15 (Korea time).

Related official sites

Spanish Football Federation — official website where disciplinary committee decisions and federation notices can be checked
Spanish Football Federation Primera División official match records — official records of the Villarreal match result and league schedule
Real Madrid official player profile for Vinícius — player records and profile compiled by the club

Representative image · Archival photo · Not a photo from the current match in the article · Photo: Wikimedia Commons (Bryan Berlin), CC BY-SA 4.0