The football wonderkid driven to tears by racism: How Vinicius Jr has been relentlessly abused from stands, faced monkey chants and had effigies hung from bridges after being signed by Real Madrid from Brazil aged 18

The emotional burden of years of taunts and death threats came to a head during a press conference yesterday, as the 23-year-old broke down in tears while describing how he suffered vile abuse during ‘every match’. 

Asked why he thought he was singled out, the young star said: ‘It’s something very sad that happens in every match of mine. It’s not just me and it’s not just in Spain, it’s all over the world. 

‘I receive a lot of insults while the racist is free; he is not punished. Every day that goes by I feel more and more sad about it. But I struggle on because they have picked on me. I fight so that in the near future it won’t happen to anyone else.’

Vinicius’s rise from a disadvantaged childhood in Rio de Janeiro to the height of European football is a story of success against overwhelming odds. 

The forward has been subject to numerous accounts of racist abuse while playing for Real Madrid in Spain

After impressing his coaches at school, the youngster enrolled as an academy player aged 10 when his father took him to the branch offices of his local football club Flamengo.

The teenager was then put on the fast-track to stardom aged 16 when he received a contract from Real Madrid, with the Spanish club agreeing to pay an eyewatering £38million to take him when he turned 18.

Vinicius’s story may be one of incredible personal achievement, but at yesterday’s press conference – held before Brazil’s friendly against Spain tonight – he admitted that the racism he continues to receive sometimes saps his desire to carry on. 

‘Sometimes I have less and less desire to play but I want to keep fighting,’ he said. 

Last May, the player was targeted with monkey chants by supporters at Valencia’s Mestalla Stadium and handed a red card for reacting to the abuse. 

He later took to Instagram to accuse Spain of having a reputation as a ‘racist country’, writing: ‘It wasn’t the first time, not the second and not the third. Racism is normal in La Liga. The competition thinks it’s normal, so does the Federation and the opponents encourage it. I am soo sorry.’

‘The championship that once belonged to Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Cristiano and Messi, today belongs to the racists. 

‘A beautiful nation, which welcomed me and I love, but which accepted to export the image to the world from a racist country.

‘Sorry for the Spaniards who do not agree, but today, in Brazil, Spain is known as a country of racists.

‘And unfortunately with everything that happens on a weekly basis, I have no way to defend.

‘I agree. But I’m strong and will go to the end against the racists. Even though it’s far from here.’

Vinicius reacts to being racially abused with monkey chants from Valencia fans last season 

A newspaper in Valencia mocked him up as Pinocchio and accused him of lying about the racist abuse he received

He was backed by Real head coach Carlo Ancelotti, who called for games to be stopped if monkey chants could be heard.   

‘La Liga has a racism problem,’ he said. ‘They cannot yell ”monkey” at Vinicius. The game must be stopped. If an entire stadium is chanting ”monkey” then the game has to be stopped. I said this to the referee.’

But rather than support Vinicius for making a stand, La Liga president Javier Tebas accused him of not appearing at meetings with the league regarding his complaint about racism.  

He also then told the Brazilian ‘before you criticise and slander La Liga, you need to inform yourself properly’. 

A local newspaper joined the pile-on by unveiling a back page mock-up of the footballer as Pinocchio to suggest he had lied about the racist abuse he had received. 

Unbowed, Vinicius blasted Tebas in a stinging response, insisting the time for words was over as he demanded that action be taken against the ‘inhuman’ abuse. 

Vinicius’s hometown of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil turned off the lights of the famous Christ the Redeemer statue on Corvocado in solidarity with the player. 

Tebas eventually apologised following a wave of criticism. Vinicius’s red card was rescinded and Valencia eventually handed three of the perpetrators lifetime bans.

Vinicius has also been targeted away from stadiums, with Atletico Madrid fans hanging an effigy of the player from a bridge in the city before a Spanish cup clash with city rivals Atletico

A close-up image of the Vinicius Jr effigy was posted on Madrid Zone’s X account

Athletico fans were once again spotted singing racist chants about Vinicius being a ‘chimpanzee’ before their Champions League clash against Inter Milan on March 13. There is no suggestion any of the people pictured took part in the chants 

The wonderkid found the perfect way to hit back at his racist tormentors when he returned to the Mestalla Stadium earlier this month, scoring twice for Real Madrid as they came from 2-0 to earn a point. 

After his first goal, Vinicius turned to the stand full of those fans who had thrown slurs at the forward and threw his first to the sky in defiance before – after the second – cupping his ears towards the people who had jeered him. 

Yet even that match was eventually overshadowed, with La Liga launching an investigation over claims a child called the player a ‘monkey’.  

Vinicius has also been targeted away from stadiums, with Atletico Madrid fans hanging an effigy of the player from a bridge in the city before a Spanish cup clash with city rivals Atletico.

The inflatable doll, donning a Vinicius shirt, appeared early in the morning and was accompanied with a 52ft banner that reads: ‘Madrid hates Real Madrid’. 

Four men connected with a ‘radical Ultras group’ were arrested and prosecutors have requested four-year prison sentences for each of them. 

Athletico fans were once again spotted singing racist chants about Vinicius being a ‘chimpanzee’ before their Champions League clash against Inter Milan on March 13. 

The Brazilian has also been targeted abroad, including from a group of schoolchildren in Morocco during a trip to the country as part of his role as a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador.

Vinicius was called a ‘monkey’ while visiting Morocco as part of his role as a  UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador

Vinicius donning a Morocco jersey during his visit to the North African country  

Vinicius visited a school in Marrakesh and posted several images of himself in a Morocco national team jersey on social media following the trip.

Though the excursion appeared largely positive, footage has emerged on social media of someone calling the winger a monkey on at least two occasions.

La Liga says it has reported various incidents of racist abuse aimed at black players to the police but they have no jurisdiction to take action against clubs or individuals and no one has yet been successfully prosecuted for racist chanting in stadiums.

Asked if he had considered leaving Spain, Vinicius told the press conference at Real Madrid’s training ground, Valdebebas: ‘I’ve never thought much about leaving because if I leave here, I am going to give the racists what they want.’ 

While the reaction to his emotional display was overwhelmingly supportive, it prompted a cruel response from former Paraguay goalkeeper Jose Luis Chilavert, who called Vinicius a ‘f*****’ and told him ‘football is for men’.

Meanwhile, his Real teammate Dani Carvajal told journalists that Spain is not racist – although he said any abusers should not be allowed inside football stadiums

‘I don’t believe that Spain is a racist country, we have a very high level of integration,’ the full-back told the media. 

Describing his ambitions yesterday, he said: ‘I just want to play football, do everything for my club and my family and never see black people suffering’ 

Vinicius wowed fans with his performance during Brazil’s 1-0 victory against England at Wembley on Saturday 

Vinicius’s public stand against racism has been widely lauded, and in June he was nominated by FIFA President Gianni Infantino to lead a special FIFA anti-racism committee composed of players. 

The player also funds his own charitable organisation in Rio, which uses sport and technology to educate poor young Brazilians. 

Regardless of the abuse he continues to receive, his future looks incredibly bright. 

The winger is Real Madrid’s second top goalscorer this season after England’s Jude Bellingham and has represented Brazil in the 2021 Copa América and the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. 

Describing his ambitions yesterday, he said: ‘I just want to play football, do everything for my club and my family and never see black people suffering.’