Vinícius Júnior (25, Real Madrid) is once again under scrutiny for his actions.

Real Madrid drew 1-1 against Al Hilal in their first match of Group H at the 2025 Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) Club World Cup held at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, USA, on the 19th (Korea time).

In the early stages of the first half, Al Hilal took the initiative. Although Milinković-Savić, Leonardo's consecutive shots, and Rodrygo's goal occurred, they were nullified due to offside.

In the 34th minute of the first half, Real Madrid took the lead when Gonzalo García finished off a cross from Rodrygo during a counterattack. However, in the 39th minute, Rubén Neves successfully converted a penalty kick awarded due to a foul by Marco Asensio, bringing Al Hilal level.

In the second half, Real made a substitution, bringing on Arda Güler to change the momentum, and although they created several opportunities, including a shot that struck the crossbar, they struggled with finishing. In the 45th minute, the penalty kick obtained after a VAR review was also missed by Federico Valverde, resulting in a lost opportunity to take the lead.

The match ultimately ended in a 1-1 draw. Real Madrid fielded most of their starters, but they failed to overcome the organized defense of Al Hilal and the outstanding saves by goalkeeper Bono, resulting in a missed victory.

Once again, Vinícius Júnior's actions became an issue in this match. He attempted a 'dive' after not being tackled and fell on his own, receiving a yellow card from the referee.

In the 15th minute, with the score tied at 0-0, Real launched a counterattack, and García's pass slipped between the defenders. Vinícius, sprinting toward the ball, jumped over a tackling opponent but then fell on his own. Referee Facundo Tello Figueroa, who was watching the situation closely, quickly showed a yellow card. Vinícius protested, making gestures of grievance, but it was in vain.

What’s more absurd is that Vinícius' 'dive' was so evident that it could clearly be seen on the 'referee cam' attached to the referee.

Meanwhile, Real Madrid, who had to settle for just one point from the first match, will face CF Pachuca (Mexico) on the 23rd at 4 a.m.

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