Real Madrid

The Brazilian was sent off against Valencia, adding to his tally.

While there is general concern about referees in Spain, it intensifies when focused on Vinicius.

And, after his sending off against Valencia, the debate will only rage even more. An arm in Dimitrievski’s head/neck during a tense game at Mestalla was enough for the referee to make his decision after consulting the screen.

1 – Real Madrid have received more yellow cards by dissent than any other team in LaLiga 2024/25 with eight, three of them by Vinícius Júnior, more than any other player. Nervousness. pic.twitter.com/WkDycPqNpQ

— OptaJose (@OptaJose) September 24, 2024

Vinicius Jr’s red card record

Vinicius joined Real Madrid in 2018 for €45 million, arriving at the age of 18 with a wealth of talent… and temperament. Before stepping up to the first team, he spent a brief stint with the reserves, playing just five games, scoring four goals and providing one assist. His only career red card came in another reserve match, this time against Celta B. Despite scoring Madrid’s only goal in the 1-1 draw, the referee, Alexander González, judged that Vinicius had simulated a foul near the area, resulting in a second yellow and his only dismissal.

Before that, in his 69 matches for Flamengo, Vinicius received nine yellow cards but no reds. The same pattern has held true for his appearances with the Brazilian national team, where he has accumulated six yellow cards across various age levels and senior matches, but never a red.

However, he did miss the crucial quarterfinal match in the last Copa América due to yellow card accumulation (having been booked against Paraguay and Colombia in the second and third matchdays). Brazil went on to lose in a penalty shootout to Marcelo Bielsa’s Uruguay.

Vinicius Junior reacts after sustaining an injury.Violeta Santos MouraREUTERS

With Real Madrid’s first team, Vinicius’s discipline record has gradually worsened. In the 2018-19 season, he received just one yellow card in 31 games (1,742 minutes). The following season, that number increased to six, averaging one every 302.9 minutes. In 2020-21, he tempered those numbers slightly, receiving four yellows—one every 680.5 minutes. During his breakout 2021-22 season, the number rose to seven, but the ratio remained consistent, with one yellow card every 610.3 minutes. From there, the numbers began to spike.

In the 2022-23 season, Vinicius received 16 yellow cards—one every 297 minutes. Last season, the total dropped to 11, though the frequency worsened, with a yellow card every 280 minutes, as he played just 3,080 minutes.

This season, his red against Valencia was his first of the season, taking his tally to 2 in total during his career.