![Vinicius Junior of Real Madrid receives a red card from referee Isidro Diaz de Mera Escuderos [Angel Martinez/Getty Images]](https://angelnetworknews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/GettyImages-2299571242-1791666923.jpg "Vinicius Junior of Real Madrid receives a red card from referee Isidro Diaz de Mera Escuderos [Angel Martinez/Getty Images]")
Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior has been suspended for four La Liga matches, ruling him out of the upcoming El Clasico against Barcelona, the Spanish Football Federation’s disciplinary committee announced on Wednesday.
The Brazilian will miss fixtures against Sevilla, Barcelona, Racing Santander and Valencia after being sent off during Real Madrid’s 1-0 win over Villarreal on Saturday.
The committee imposed a two-match ban for violent conduct after Vinicius pulled the hair of Villarreal defender Nathan Saliba, and a further two matches for his protests following the red card.
The incident occurred after Vinicius appeared to have scored a second goal, which was later disallowed following a video assistant referee review that showed the hair-pulling in the build-up. Referee Isidro Díaz de Mera then dismissed the forward.
According to the referee’s report, after the red card Vinicius “protested my decision, raising his voice, toward where I was standing in an aggressive manner, and being held back by teammates.”
Vinicius later apologised to his teammates and the club’s supporters on social media, saying he was “sorry to the team and the fans.”
The suspension is a significant setback for Real Madrid ahead of their clash with league leaders Barcelona at Camp Nou on October 25.
