Real Madrid faces a possible absence of Vinicius Jr. in the next Clásico, after an attack that earned him a direct red card in the match against Villarreal. The Brazilian striker was sent off for pulling defender Saliba's hair, an action that referee Díaz de Mera confirmed with the VAR and which, according to the regulations, is considered an attack. Despite the expulsion, the team managed to maintain the lead thanks to a goal from Diomande and the match ended in Madrid's favor.
Vinicius' case is not isolated. In May 2026, Mallorca player Johan Mojica received a two-game suspension after pulling the hair of Levante's Roger Brugué, while in January 2023 Ferran Torres was banned for two games for the same type of infraction against Stefano Savic. In both cases, the discipline report specified that the hair pulling occurred with the ball in play, which led to the imposition of the double suspension.
Soccer regulations establish that the severity of the sanction depends on whether the ball was in play and the distance of the action. If the referee determines that the ball was not within reach of being played, the sanction will be two games, which would mean that Vinicius would not be able to participate in the Clásico on October 25 at the Spotify Camp Nou. On the other hand, if the referee does not indicate that the ball was out of play, the sanction could be reduced to a single match, as happened in the case of Diego Percan of Córdoba, who was suspended only once after pulling his hair near the ball.
Real Madrid must wait for the final report from referee Díaz de Mera to confirm the duration of Vinicius' suspension. If the sanction is two games, the club would lose its star striker in the biggest duel in Spanish football. If the suspension is reduced to one game, Vinicius could return for the Classic, although the team has already begun planning its strategy without him. In any case, the arbitration decision will be crucial for Madrid's approach in the next confrontation with Barcelona.