Vinicius Junior has issued an emotional plea to Real Madrid fans after starring in a Champions League 6-1 rout of Monaco, admitting that recent jeers at the Santiago Bernabeu have left him hurting. The Brazilian winger, who insisted "I am human too," also addressed speculation surrounding his future and the recent managerial upheaval, insisting he remains calm about a renewal despite having just over a year left on his contract.
Vinicius Jr was back to his brilliant best and Kylian Mbappe bagged a brace as Real Madrid battered Monaco, 6-1, on Tuesday. Vinicius provided three assists, scored a wonderful goal and was a constant menace. Mbappe opened the scoring with two goals of hisown, while an unfortunate own goal from Thilo Kehrer and a smooth strike from Jude Bellingham rounded off a memorable night in Alvaro Arbeloa's first Champions League game in charge.
Kylian Mbappe has sought to defend Real Madrid team-mates Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham from the brutal boos that have come their way. Restless natives at the Bernabeu took to jeering their own players during a La Liga clash with Levante, with certain individuals considered to have contributed to club legend Xabi Alonso losing his job as manager.
While goals were hard to come by in the Premier League over the weekend, there were still plenty of intriguing narratives that emerged in England's top-flight, while elsewhere around Europe there was plenty of entertainment to be had ahead of the return of the Champions League this midweek.
Neymar remains “the most talented player in Brazil”, Kleberson has told GOAL, with Carlo Ancelotti being told that he must find space for the Santos superstar in his 2026 World Cup plans. The man who helped the Selecao to global glory in 2002 has also picked out the natural heir to Neymar’s playmaking crown and explained what a modern day great needs to do in order to join the GOATs.
Vinicius Junior making a move to Chelsea remains a ”fairytale shout”, says former Blues midfielder Jody Morris, with the Real Madrid superstar considered to be “too old” for owners at Stamford Bridge that prefer to focus on youth and potential. A ‘Galactico’ at Santiago Bernabeu is, however, generating talk of a Premier League transfer being made in 2026.
Real Madrid turned an unconvincing first half into a clinical second, with Kylian Mbappe leading the charge as they saw off Levante, 2-0. Los Blancos were initially languid under new manager Alvaro Arbeloa, but clicked into gear once the deadlock was broken, and were ultimately good value for the victory - even if some questions about individuals remain.
Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham were booed by a section of Real Madrid fans before and during their clash with Levante. Following Xabi Alonso's sacking and Los Blancos' Copa del Rey humiliation at the hands of second-tier side Albacete, the Santiago Bernabeu faithful turned their ire towards the attacking duo and club president Florentino Perez.
Real Madrid are reportedly ready to restart contract talks with Vinicius Junior following the departure of Xabi Alonso. Los Blancos have made another change in their dugout after generating plenty of unfortunate headlines across the 2025-26 campaign. Many of those have focused on Brazilian superstar Vini, with the South American shelving discussions regarding an extended stay at the Bernabeu.
Second-division side Albacete have issued an apology to Real Madrid and Vinicius Junior after their historic Copa del Rey victory was overshadowed by vile racist abuse. The club expressed their deep "shame" after a banana was thrown at the Brazilian star during the 3-2 shock, while "disgusting xenophobic chants" were also reported outside the Carlos Belmonte stadium.
Virginia Fonseca, the girlfriend of Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Junior, has angrily shut down rumours of an impending marriage to the Brazil international. The pair are reported to have been dating for around three months, and Fonseca insists there are no plans afoot for a wedding just yet.
The final image of Xabi Alonso as Real Madrid manager - and one that tells the story of his time in charge at the Bernabeu - was of someone else telling him what to do. After Sunday's Supercopa de Espana loss to Barcelona, Alonso gestured to his players that they should give a guard of honour to their victorious opponents as they went to collect the trophy. Kylian Mbappe, though, was having none of it, and insisted his team-mates follow his lead. They did just that - and so too did Alonso.
Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone has issued a public apology to Real Madrid winger Vinicius Junior and club president Florentino Perez following a heated touchline altercation during the Spanish Super Cup semi-final, admitting his behaviour "was not appropriate" while stopping short of asking for forgiveness.
Vinicius Junior’s moment of magic for Real Madrid in their Super Cup clash with Clasico rivals Barcelona counted for little in the grand scheme of things, as they suffered a 3-2 defeat, but it did see him match a notable record. The Brazilian forward now sits level with Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Ferenc Puskas when it comes to goal contributions in major finals.
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