Vinicius has not been scoring. That is what Jose Mourinho wants to break before Real Madrid play Barcelona on October 25, and the Portuguese coach’s answer is to leave the Brazilian on the bench against Villarreal on Saturday.
Reports led by Goal say Mourinho has settled on the move as a short reset rather than a demotion. Three fixtures sit between the Bernabeu kick-off and El Clasico: Roma, Sevilla and RB Leipzig. Those are the matches the Real Madrid staff want to use to get Vinicius back into rhythm.
The numbers tell their own story. Across La Liga and the Champions League this season, Vinicius has one goal and three assists. In the 2-1 defeat to Atletico Madrid, he recorded zero shots on target, zero chances created and zero key passes before Mourinho took him off around the hour mark, the fourth consecutive game the forward had been substituted.
Only 27.3% of his La Liga shots have hit the target, placing him 58th in the division.
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The World Cup still hurts
The 26-year-old has given his own explanation. During the international break, Brazil beat Australia 4-2 in a friendly, and his teammates let him take a penalty to lift his mood. He converted it, then spoke to reporters about where his head was.
“My teammates know I need some confidence now.”
“Losing a World Cup is hard and difficult to accept.”
Brazil had gone out of the 2026 World Cup to Norway in the round of 16, and Vinicius’ drop in club form dates from there. Mourinho, who took over Real Madrid for the 2026/27 season, has publicly backed his forward through weeks of whistles from his own supporters at the Bernabeu.
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Speaking in September, the manager said the “best version of Vinicius Junior will come when he starts scoring goals,” while admitting the winger “isn’t at his best.”
Diomande waits as contract talk rumbles on
Mourinho has an alternative. Yan Diomande, the Ivorian winger described in Spain as a reported €125m option, has been pushing for starts in the same role and is in line to take Vinicius’ place against Villarreal.
The sporting slump sits alongside unresolved contract noise. In August the forward was reported to have signed a six-year deal worth €600,000 per week, matching Kylian Mbappé as Madrid’s joint top earner, but Spanish reports in October now describe a fresh standoff, with the club pressing for terms around €22m per year while Vinicius holds out closer to €30m.
Kick-off against Villarreal at the Bernabeu is on Saturday at 9pm local time. El Clasico at Camp Nou follows on Sunday, October 25.
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