Vinicius Jr's fight against racism suffers blow with case of alleged abuse against Real Madrid star set to be closed following recommendation from Public Prosecutor's Office

Since Vinicius Junior arrived in Madrid from Brazil at the age of 18 in 2018, he has frequently been subjected to racism both on and off the pitch. The Brazil international has been at the forefront of a long-standing battle against racism and discrimination, although a recent decision by the Public Prosecutor's Office is likely to feel like a significant setback for the 24-year-old winger.

In October 2023, during the El Clasico between Real Madrid and Barcelona, Vinicius was allegedly racially abused, with reports claiming he was called a “f*cking monkey". La Liga reported the incident to authorities, leading to a legal case. However, the Public Prosecutor's Office has now requested to close the case, citing insufficient evidence to confirm that the offensive comments were a crime of incitement to hatred, according to EFE (via Mundo Deportivo).

Despite requesting to close the case, the Public Prosecutor's Office has recommended that the investigating judge forward the matter to the Office of Equal Treatment and Non-Discrimination, per the Mundo Deportivo report. This is to determine whether a sanctioning process should be initiated against those involved, should it be deemed appropriate.

Having already scored a game-winning goal for Brazil against Colombia last week, the 2024 Ballon d'Or runner-up will be hoping to help the Selecao register back-to-back wins to strengthen their 2026 World Cup qualifying chances when they face arch-rivals Argentina on Wednesday, March 26.