Vinícius will miss Mestalla again on Saturday

Vinícius will be the notable absentee when Real Madrid visit Mestalla on Saturday. Sent off on his last appearance at the ground, the Brazilian will serve the fourth and final match of his sanction there. He will not return to Mestalla this season. For a second consecutive season, the Valencia stadium will be without one of its most difficult visitors to contain.

His last appearance came on 3 January 2025. After the red card, Vinícius protested, visibly shaken, while teammates held him back. He left the pitch unaware that the dismissal would remain, so far, his last time at the stadium. The current sanction extends a relationship already complicated by another absence: in February, during the previous season’s visit, he did not play because of an accumulation of yellow cards. The two sanctions have kept him away from a ground tied to a particularly turbulent history for him.

The earlier episode in that history dates to 21 May 2023. During Valencia’s 1-0 win, Vinícius reported racist abuse from the stands, pointed to a spectator and prompted the match to be stopped. He became a central figure that evening, but not because of his goals. In June 2024, three Valencia supporters were sentenced to eight months in prison and banned from stadiums for two years for an offence against moral integrity aggravated by racial discrimination.

Between those episodes, Vinícius returned to Mestalla on 2 March 2024. On his first visit back after the racist abuse, he scored twice. Mundo Deportivo reports that the goals helped Real Madrid recover from a 2-0 deficit and earn a draw. Since then, a dismissal followed by two consecutive absences has shaped his visits to the ground. He was nevertheless able to play in the Champions League during his sanction; to return to Mestalla, he will have to wait until another season. His absence remains central to Madrid’s visit, even without him on the pitch.

At Friday’s press conference, a Portuguese coach reaffirmed his confidence in the Brazilian while stressing the collective priority: “The team has to come before any player.”