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Why is Vinicius Jr banned for four matches, and will he miss El Clasico on 25 October 2026?

Posted by PetitionFox. A question people keep asking on elsewhere (Google searches and football news, October 2026), asked here in our own words and answered below.

Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior has been handed a four-match LaLiga ban after a red card against Villarreal, and fans around the world want to know why, which games he misses, and whether he can play in El Clasico against Barcelona.

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Short answer: yes, Vinicius Jr will miss El Clasico. The Spanish football federation's disciplinary committee banned him for four LaLiga matches after his red card against Villarreal. Two matches are for pulling an opponent's hair and two for how he protested to the referee afterwards. The Clasico at Barcelona on Sunday 25 October 2026 is the second of the four games he sits out.

What happened

  • Real Madrid beat Villarreal 1-0 on Saturday 10 October.
  • Vinicius came on in the 52nd minute and appeared to score a second goal. A VAR review showed him pulling Villarreal's Nathan Saliba by the hair in the build-up, so the goal was ruled out and he was shown a straight red card (in the 73rd minute, according to beIN Sports).
  • The referee's report says he protested the decision, raising his voice. Teammate Antonio Rüdiger held him back.
  • Vinicius apologised to the team and fans on social media after the match. Manager José Mourinho didn't speak to the press afterwards.

The four matches he misses (LaLiga only)

| Date | Match |

|---|---|

| Sun 18 Oct | Real Madrid vs Sevilla (home) |

| Sun 25 Oct | Barcelona vs Real Madrid, El Clasico (Spotify Camp Nou) |

| Around 1 Nov | Racing Santander vs Real Madrid (away) |

| Around 7 Nov | Valencia vs Real Madrid (away) |

His next league game would then be against Celta Vigo at the Bernabéu on 21 November, after the international break.

Can he play in the Champions League?

Yes. The ban covers LaLiga only, so he can still play in Europe, including Real Madrid's game against Roma.

Is Real Madrid appealing?

Real Madrid has appealed. beIN Sports reported that the first appeal was rejected and that the club was considering a further appeal to cut the ban to three matches. Even then, he would still miss El Clasico.

El Clasico kick-off time

Sunday 25 October at 9:00 pm in Spain. Clocks in Europe go back an hour that morning, so it's 8:00 pm UK time, 4:00 pm US Eastern and 1:30 am India time on Monday 26 October.

Over to you

Was four matches fair for a hair pull and a protest, or too harsh? And can Real Madrid win at Camp Nou without Vinicius? Share your view below.

Sources6
Al Jazeera: Real Madrid's Vinicius banned for Clasico after hair-pull red cardGoal: Vinicius Junior handed suspension after red card, will miss El ClasicobeIN Sports: Vinicius suspended for four matches and will miss El ClasicoFox Sports: Vinicius Junior banned 4 matches for hair-pulling incidentReal Madrid: Barcelona-Real Madrid will be played on Sunday 25 October at 9:00 pmFC Barcelona: Date and kick-off time of LaLiga Clasico at the Spotify Camp Nou confirmed

General information from public sources, not legal advice. If something has changed, say so below and we’ll update it.

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