Vinícius Júnior was sent off at the Estadio de la Cerámica on Saturday night for pulling an opponent’s hair. On Sunday afternoon in Brazil, his girlfriend’s communications team told reporters the relationship was over.
The red card came in the 70th minute of a 1-0 win over Villarreal. Vinícius, 26, had come off the bench and been on the pitch for less than 20 minutes when his would-be goal for Real Madrid was wiped out. A VAR review caught him pulling the hair of defender Nathan Saliba during the build-up, and the referee overturned the goal and sent him off for violent conduct.
The match report then made things worse. The referee logged Vinícius’s reaction after the dismissal as “aggressive,” noting that he had to be held back by teammates as he moved toward the official.
Vinícius posted a short apology on social media hours later.
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“Sorry to the team and the fans.”
Clásico in serious doubt
Spanish federation rules allow a one-to-three-match ban for violent conduct, and the disciplinary committee is expected to rule this week. Most reports point to two games as the baseline, which would cover Real Madrid’s home league fixture against Sevilla on October 18 and the trip to Camp Nou for the Clásico on October 25. A three-match sanction would also keep him out of the following league fixture on November 1.
Real Madrid are planning an appeal, but the club privately expects the sanction to stand given how the referee framed the incident.
Virginia Fonseca’s team confirms the split
Her press team announced the breakup on Sunday, October 11. The statement, carried by Brazilian and Portuguese outlets, was blunt about the lack of drama.
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“Virginia Fonseca and Vini Jr. are no longer together. There was no conflict, there was no fight, only the understanding that they should no longer continue as a couple.”
Virginia had flown to Miami with her children the day before, a trip her team said was planned in advance so the children could visit their father, Brazilian singer Zé Felipe.
From Monaco proposal to second split
The couple went public in October 2025 after a romantic trip to Monaco. They separated for the first time in May 2026, reconciled in July during a yacht holiday in the Mediterranean, and were photographed in September wearing matching commitment rings. Sunday’s statement was their second confirmed split in five months.
The disciplinary committee’s ruling is expected before Real Madrid host Sevilla on Sunday, October 18.
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