Vinícius Júnior finds himself facing the same fight

Against Espanyol, Vinícius Júnior once again found himself on the receiving end of repeated fouls. The statistics appear to reinforce Real Madrid’s belief that the Brazilian winger is treated differently by referees in La Liga.

Eight years after arriving in Madrid, Vinícius seems to be living through the same story over and over again. It took only three minutes in Real Madrid’s league opener against Espanyol for the pattern to return. With the ball not even in play, Calatrava appeared to kick the Real Madrid No. 7 in the lower back. No yellow card followed, no red card either—only a verbal warning.

By the end of the match, Vinícius had been fouled eight times, more than any other player on the pitch. For the Brazilian, however, such figures have almost become routine.

The most-fouled player in La Liga

This is not simply the result of one particularly physical match. According to AS, since the 2019/20 season, Vinícius Júnior has been the most-fouled player in La Liga, suffering 489 fouls. Dani Parejo sits second on that list despite having played 43 more league matches than the Real Madrid winger.

Part of the explanation lies in Vinícius’ playing style. His explosive acceleration, constant dribbling and willingness to take defenders on in tight spaces naturally expose him to more physical challenges. Opponents frequently resort to fouling him when they cannot stop him legally.

For Real Madrid, however, the main concern is not simply the number of fouls. It is the disciplinary response that follows them.

A striking difference

According to the figures reported by AS, an opponent receives a yellow card only once every 16 fouls committed against Vinícius in La Liga. For comparison, Lamine Yamal reportedly draws a booking roughly once every three fouls.

The contrast becomes even more dramatic with red cards. The numbers suggest that approximately 68 fouls against Vinícius are needed before an opponent is eventually sent off, compared with only 11 for Yamal.

Both are attacking players who regularly dribble, provoke one-on-one situations and attract heavy defensive attention, yet the disciplinary outcomes appear very different.

Interestingly, the situation changes considerably in the Champions League. Since 2019/20, Vinícius remains the most-fouled player in the competition with 131 fouls suffered. But in Europe, defenders facing both Vinícius and Yamal receive a yellow card roughly once every three fouls. That consistency has further strengthened Real Madrid’s concerns about the treatment Vinícius receives domestically.

Mourinho speaks out

🚨 In LaLiga, Vinicius needs to be fouled 16 times for an opponent to receive a yellow.

In the UCL, it takes JUST 3 fouls. @diarioas pic.twitter.com/mJCAStBjcw

— Madrid Xtra (@MadridXtra) August 26, 2026

José Mourinho addressed the issue after the Espanyol match and made clear that he believes there is a noticeable difference in how Vinícius is protected.

“Outside Spain, from what we saw during preseason, the difference in the treatment of Vini compared to other players is obvious,” Mourinho said.

The Portuguese coach believes refereeing tolerance can influence opponents’ behaviour.

“When opponents feel they are allowed to attack him aggressively, they do it,” Mourinho explained. “It’s like little children: they go as far as you allow them to go. Players are the same. If you allow them to kick, they will keep doing it.”

For Real Madrid, the debate is therefore no longer about whether Vinícius is frequently fouled. The numbers make that clear. The real question is whether those fouls are being punished consistently.