Vinicius Junior tipped to retire at just 30 years old as tensions mount

Martin Macdonald

• 11 Mar 2026 05:30 CDT
• 3 min read

News

Eden Hazard has sensationally claimed that Vinicius Junior could look to retire from football in just five years due to the increasing scrutiny on his character from fans, pundits, and ex-players.

The Brazilian continues to be a key player for Los Blancos, but unfortunately for him, he has recently, again, been in the middle of a racism row which sent shockwaves through European football.

During the first leg of a Champions League playoff tie between Real Madrid and Benfica last month, Gianluca Prestianni and Vini Junior got into a confrontation which resulted in the Argentine being accused of making racist remarks towards his opponent.

The melee between the players happened after Vinicius Junior opened the scoring with a stunning finish into the top right corner.

He made his accusations known to the referee, who stopped the match in line with UEFA's new racism protocol. Prestianni covered his mouth while speaking to Vinicius but both the Brazilian and team-mate Kylian Mbappe insist racial slurs were used.

An investigation into the incident is ongoing, though Jose Mourinho caused major controversy when he suggested that the 25 year old catalysed the incident by overcelebrating his opening goal.

BBC Sport has confirmed that this was the 20th time in a Real Madrid shirt that Vinicius Junior has been involved in a racism incident.

As the Brazilian plays for the biggest club in the world, in a country where he experiences racism this frequently, the spotlight is harshly shone upon him every single game.

And Hazard, who shared a dressing room with Vini for four years, believes it could all become too much.

“He’s just someone who loves football, who loves to play and just wants to have fun. A bit like me when I was on the pitch," the Belgian, who retired at 32, told RTBF.

“Now, we talk more about what he does or what he endures than what he brings to the pitch. People forget what an exceptional player he is. It must weigh heavily on him. It can’t be easy to go into a match and just think about football.

"He has so much on his mind before a match, I sometimes think, ‘Poor guy.’ He knows he’s going to face this, that not much happens in terms of sanctions. It must be a burden; I wouldn’t be surprised if, at 30, he says he’s leaving, that he’s quitting football because, in any case, nothing changes.”

Hazard says that Vinicius should perhaps look to embrace the happy side of the game, akin to Ronaldinho, instead of embracing confrontations with away fans.

"As a friend, I would tell him: 'Be careful. Play the way you want to play, but be careful," the former Real Madrid and Chelsea star continued.

"People are on your side, so play football, have fun, make us real football fans happy," he said. "When you dance, dance in a certain way so that people like you. Ronaldinho danced too; I don't remember seeing all these stories. I lived with Vinicius for four years, and I quickly realized he was strong mentally and physically. To live at the best club and do what he does. Hats off to him."

Vinicius will be in the spotlight again this week as Real Madrid take on Manchester City in the first knockout stage of the Champions League.

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