The Vinícius Jr. Racism Incident Is Latest in a Long, Sad History

It’s 2026, and we are talking about a new Vinícius Jr. racism episode.

Sure, the Real Madrid forward is a polarizing figure. He is undoubtedly one of the best wingers in the world, dashing, full of flair, unbeatable pace and ruthless finishing. He’s also outspoken, critical and not afraid to speak his mind, on or off the pitch. Beloved by his team’s supporters, he is nonetheless disliked (for lack of a better word) by the opposition.

But let’s be clear. Regardless of any actions and provocations he might make, there is NO excuse to paint a target on his back and invite abuse of any kind, especially racial. And Vini has been on the receiving end of abuse far too frequently in his eight years in Spain. The BBC reported no less than 20 documented incidents. We’ve highlighted some of the notable ones.

Multiple Vinícius Jr. Racism Incidents at Mallorca

One of Vinicius Jr’s most hostile environments has been outside mainland Spain, on the island of Mallorca at the Estadi Son Moix.

In October 2021 and March 2022 there were reports of racial abuse from fans towards Vinícius. Spanish prosecutors opened investigations, but no legal actions were taken as a result.

The third incident occurred during Real Madrid’s 1-0 defeat to RCD Mallorca on February 5, 2023. Once again, Vinicius was racially abused by a supporter from the stands during the match.

This time, however, the abuse was captured by broadcast cameras. Footage later showing a spectator directing racial insults (including the word mono “monkey”) toward the Brazilian winger. Following the match, La Liga filed a formal legal complaint with the investigating courts in Palma de Mallorca.

This case ultimately progressed through the Spanish judicial system and in September 2024, the individual responsible was sentenced by the Court of Instruction No. 3 in Palma. The supporter received a suspended prison sentence, a stadium ban, was also ordered to enroll in a mandatory anti-discrimination educational program and required to issue a written apology to Vinícius.

Vinícius Jr. Racism Incident vs Valencia

On May 21, 2023, during Real Madrid’s La Liga fixture against Valencia at the Mestalla Stadium, Vinícius Jr. was subjected to yet more racist abuse from sections of the home support. This became one of the most widely publicized racism incidents in modern Spanish soccer.

Reports indicate that abuse had begun even before kickoff, with some supporters filmed shouting racial slurs such as “mono” (monkey) as the Real Madrid team bus arrived at the stadium.

The most significant episode occurred in the 73rd minute of the match, with Real Madrid trailing 1-0. Vinícius turned away from play and began gesturing toward supporters located behind one of the goals, visibly attempting to identify individuals in the crowd whom he accused of racially insulting him. According to match reports, the Brazilian forward repeatedly pointed into the stands and told teammates and the referee that a supporter had called him a “monkey.”

“Racism is normal in La Liga,” a disappointed Vinícius posted on social media after the game.

As tensions escalated, both Real Madrid and Valencia players gathered around the winger while referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea initiated La Liga’s anti racism protocol. The first step involved issuing a stadium wide public address warning that the match would be suspended if discriminatory chanting continued. Play was halted for several minutes before eventually resuming in the 78th minute.

Following the restart, the match atmosphere remained hostile. Vini became involved in a late altercation with Valencia players during stoppage time and was subsequently sent off after a VAR review for violent conduct in an off the ball incident.

The dismissal became controversial in itself, with Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti later stating that the focus should have been on the racist abuse rather than the disciplinary sanction imposed on the player.

In June 2024, three Valencia supporters were sentenced to eight months in prison for racist abuse directed at Vinícius during the Mestalla fixture. The ruling marked the first criminal conviction in Spain specifically for racist insults delivered inside a soccer stadium.

In addition to prison sentences, the offenders received two year stadium bans and were ordered to issue formal apologies to the player, La Liga, and Real Madrid.

The Never Ending Atlético Madrid Saga

The mannequin had been suspended by the neck and was accompanied by a banner reading:

“Madrid odia al Real” (Madrid hates Real)

I was working at Real Madrid TV during that time. The moment I stepped into work that day and saw everyone’s faces, I knew something was wrong. There is a thin line between rival banter and hurtful racism. Everyone was quiet in the office because they could not believe people in this city could do this.

Spanish authorities opened an investigation into this incident on suspicion of a hate crime, with the act widely condemned by Real Madrid, La Liga, the Spanish Football Federation, Atlético Madrid and FIFA.

In May 2023, Spain’s National Police arrested four individuals in connection with the hanging. Prosecutors later confirmed that the suspects were linked to a radical Atletico Madrid ultra group.

Despite all this, coordinated covert campaigns continued on Twitter to target Vinicius Jr with “mono” chants on multiple derbies that followed.

Crossing the Line: “Vinícius, Die” Chants at Osasuna

Imagine hating the color of a person so much that you want him to not live anymore. That is what a section of Osasuna fans at El Sadar did. On March 16, 2024, Vinicius was subjected to chants of “Vinícius, muérete” along with the usual mono chants.

Even when the referee was made aware of this, he did not stop the game and omitted the chants from his match report. Real Madrid were furious at this, and rightly so.

2026 and Nothing Changes: Gianluca Prestianni

The most recent Vinícius Jr racism incident happened on Tuesday. In the encounter between Real Madrid and Benfica in the UCL Playoffs, a section of Benfica fans directed monkey gestures toward Vini after he scored the only goal of the game and was celebrating with a salsa dance near the corner flag. He drew a yellow card for excessive celebration from the referee.

Following this, he entered into an altercation with Gianluca Prestianni of Benfica, who covered his mouth and allegedly said something to Vinícius. Vini, Mbappé and many Real Madrid players claim they heard the word “mono” being said by the Argentinian. When Vinícius brought this to the referee’s attention, the game was temporarily suspended for 10 minutes until the situation was sorted out.

Post match, Prestianni said he never said anything racist. Benfica manager Jose Mourinho deflected the blame onto the victim. “When you (Vinícius) score a goal like that, you celebrate in a respectful way,” he said in a post-match interview. Mourinho has never, of course, behaved disrespectfully towards the opposition. Ever.

UEFA meanwhile have officially launched an investigation against Prestanni. The tie heads to the Bernabéu next week for the second leg. Unless sanctioned, Prestanni will most likely feature.