Vinicius Jr's four-match ban upheld on appeal, will miss El Clásico

Real Madrid's Brazilian forward Vinícius Júnior has lost his appeal against a four-match suspension. According to reports by Spanish outlets Mundo Deportivo and Marca on 16 October 2026, the Appeals Committee of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) reviewed Real Madrid's challenge, dismissed every argument the club put forward and left the Disciplinary Committee's ruling unchanged.

The ban stems from the red card Vinicius received during Real Madrid's 1-0 LaLiga win over Villarreal on 10 October 2026. Mundo Deportivo reports that two of the four games were imposed for the straight red, shown for pulling the hair of Villarreal's Saliba, while the other two were added for his protests towards the referee. ScoreLab data shows Vinicius lasted only 20 minutes in that match.

Which matches will Vinicius miss?

Vinicius's suspension covers four matches in LaLiga, the competition in which he was sent off. According to the ScoreLab fixture list, Real Madrid's next four league games are Sevilla at home on 18 October 2026, FC Barcelona away on 25 October 2026 (El Clásico), Racing Santander away on 1 November 2026 and Valencia away on 8 November 2026. That means the Brazil international will sit out El Clásico at Barcelona. His first possible league return, based on the fixture list, is the home game against Celta de Vigo on 22 November 2026. Vinicius played 59 minutes of Real Madrid's Champions League win at Roma on 14 October 2026, after the red card, and the sources mention no restriction on his European availability.

How did the case unfold?

1. 10 October 2026 — Real Madrid beat Villarreal 1-0 in LaLiga; Vinicius was sent off after 20 minutes on the pitch.
2. 14 October 2026 — The RFEF Disciplinary Committee banned Vinicius for four matches in total (two for the red card, two for protests).
3. 14 October 2026 — Vinicius played 59 minutes as Real Madrid won 4-3 at Roma in the Champions League.
4. 16 October 2026 — The RFEF Appeals Committee rejected Real Madrid's appeal and upheld the four-match ban.

How has Vinicius's season gone?

Vinicius has made a quiet start in front of goal in the 2026/27 LaLiga season. ScoreLab data shows the 26-year-old has played 603 minutes across 8 league games, starting 7, with 1 goal and 3 assists. His goals per 90 minutes have dropped from 0.51 last season to 0.15, while his assists per 90 have risen from 0.16 to 0.45. Ranked fifth among Real Madrid's scorers, he has 147 goals in 459 club appearances and has won 2 Champions League titles and 3 LaLiga titles with the club.

What happens next?

Real Madrid play their first league game without Vinicius against Sevilla on 18 October 2026, host RB Leipzig in the Champions League on 21 October 2026 and then travel to Barcelona for El Clásico on 25 October 2026. The sources do not say whether Real Madrid will pursue any further legal route after the appeal ruling, and the club has not announced a next step. ScoreLab will update this story as it develops.