Overview
- Broadcast footage showed Vinícius Júnior in tears in the tunnel before the Levante match, with Kylian Mbappé consoling him, after loud jeers from a section of the Santiago Bernabéu crowd.
- Vinícius played the full 90 minutes in the 2–0 win over Levante but was not decisive on the pitch, as the episode overshadowed the result.
- Álvaro Arbeloa publicly backed the winger, praised his past Champions League contributions, and said the team will look to get him the ball to restore confidence.
- La Vanguardia reports the player is under contract until 2027 and months of extension talks have stalled, with the club unwilling to break its wage scale and prepared to consider a sale this summer if no deal is reached.
- El Periódico reports Vinícius has told his entourage he wants to leave, and the outlet also noted a peak of 83 decibels when his name was announced before kickoff.