Vinícius Jr. had to come off in the 88th minute of El Clásico against FC Barcelona due to an ankle sprain. The Brazilian asked to be subbed out after trying to keep going for a few more minutes. After the game, his coach Carlo Ancelotti explained what happened.

Couldn't push through the pain

At first, Endrick was ready to come on, but Vinícius had a quick chat with Ancelotti and insisted on staying in the game—even though he looked completely worn out and clearly uncomfortable. Moments later, he signaled again that he couldn’t keep going and asked to be taken off.

It wasn’t his best performance, but Vinícius Jr. still delivered two key assists—both to Kylian Mbappé, who bagged a hat-trick.

Ancelotti clears the air

After coming off, Vinícius was treated on the bench, where the ankle sprain was confirmed. The full extent of the injury will be determined in the coming days after further medical tests.

In the post-match press conference, Carlo Ancelotti made it clear the sub was his call: “He didn’t ask to come off—I made the decision,” said the Real Madrid boss. “He had an ankle sprain. He tried to continue but it was bothering him, so I made the change.”

Víctor Muñoz, a young academy player, came on in his place and nearly became the hero, going one-on-one with Szczesny, but couldn’t find the net to level the match.