Vinícius sent off after VAR disallows goal — his words to referee Isidro Díaz de Mera

Real Madrid secured a narrow victory over Villarreal on Saturday, but the result was overshadowed by Vinícius Júnior's early dismissal after a VAR review overturned his goal.

Goal cancelled, red card shown

The Brazilian forward celebrated what he thought was a second goal, only for VAR to intervene and summon referee Isidro Díaz de Mera to review the incident. After checking the footage, Díaz de Mera disallowed the strike and issued Vinícius a direct red for pulling Villarreal defender Nathan Saliba's hair.

Footage released after the match captured Vinícius's reaction as teammates restrained him while he approached the referee. He repeatedly asked in disbelief, "Red? Red?" and then turned to Díaz de Mera to demand, "Why are you doing that?" Reports say he repeated that question four times.

The situation provoked visible frustration around the Real squad. Jude Bellingham, unable to hide his astonishment, told those nearby, "This is no longer football," while gesturing toward the stands to rally support for his team.

As Vinícius left the pitch toward the dressing room he continued to protest loudly, shouting, "What madness!" The incident will likely draw further attention in the days ahead as supporters and pundits debate the red card and its consequences.

Photo: press material from the event