Vinicius Jr. Captains Real Madrid Amid Booing on Pre-Season Return
Riazor gave Vinicius Jr. a night he will not forget, though not for the warmth of the reception.
Making his first start of Real Madrid’s pre-season in a 1-0 win over Deportivo La Coruña, the Brazilian walked out not only in the XI, but with the captain’s armband on his sleeve for the Teresa Herrera Trophy. Every touch that followed was met with boos from sections of the home crowd.
It did not rattle him. He has heard worse, in louder stadiums, in bigger games. This was another hostile away ground to add to a long list, and he treated it as such.
From the first minutes, Madrid’s plan was obvious: find Vinicius, let him carry the attack. He drifted into pockets, dropped deep to receive, tried to knit moves together. When his teammates needed an outlet, the ball went left, to the captain.
The sharpness is not there yet. How could it be? This was his first start of the summer, and at times the lack of rhythm showed. One loose pass opened the door for Deportivo to break, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang suddenly isolated on the counter as the home side surged forward.
Vinicius did not quite ignite in the final third, but this outing was about something else: minutes, responsibility, and feeling the weight of the armband before the season begins at the Santiago Bernabéu.
He carried that weight while being whistled from the stands. And he kept asking for the ball.
Carreras rides the wave on the left
If Vinicius did not carve Deportivo open himself, he still bent the game in Madrid’s favour.
Alvaro Carreras was the clearest beneficiary. The left-back repeatedly used passes from Vinicius to burst into advanced positions, hitting several crosses that troubled the Deportivo defence. Every time Vinicius dragged markers inside or forced defenders to double up, Carreras appeared on the overlap, exploiting the space.
The understanding between the two felt natural, even in August. If the coaching staff continue to build attacks down that flank, this partnership could become a key pattern for Madrid over the coming months.
The Riazor crowd did not spare them. Both Vinicius and Carreras were booed, with Endrick also targeted during the match after incidents involving Deportivo players. The noise grew, but so did their involvement. Madrid’s left side kept asking questions.
The scoreboard stayed tight, the performance remained a work in progress, but for Vinicius the night ticked another important box in his preparation for the new season: first start, first game as captain, and another test of character in an unfriendly stadium.
Spanish Super Cup leaves Saudi Arabia for Istanbul – but only briefly
While Vinicius was dealing with whistles in Galicia, a far bigger shift was confirmed off the pitch.
The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has announced that the 2027 Spanish Super Cup will be played in Istanbul, at the Olympic Ataturk Stadium. It marks a significant break from recent editions staged in Saudi Arabia, a move that had generated substantial revenue for the federation.
Ataturk Stadium is no stranger to major nights. It last hosted the UEFA Champions League final in 2023, when Manchester City lifted the trophy.
Officially, the RFEF points to the 2027 Asian Cup as the main reason for moving the tournament away from Saudi Arabia. The wider context is impossible to ignore: tensions in the Middle East have already reshaped the sporting calendar. Formula One dropped its Bahrain and Saudi Arabian races earlier in the year, while the Qatar Grand Prix shifted to Malaysia. Football is now adjusting too.
The switch, however, is temporary. The RFEF has already confirmed that the Super Cup will return to Saudi Arabia in 2028.
Four giants, one stadium, one week
The cast for Istanbul is set: Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Real Sociedad will contest the 2027 Super Cup.
All matches will be played at the Olympic Ataturk Stadium between February 2 and February 7, with the entire mini-tournament condensed into a single venue and a single week. No travel between cities, no split atmosphere – just four clubs, one stage.
For Real Madrid, it carries an edge. Barcelona have dominated the competition recently, winning three of the last four editions. Madrid’s most recent triumph came in 2024, and since then they have watched their great rivals enjoy the trophy that once felt almost routine in Chamartín.
By the time 2027 comes around, Vinicius may well be even more central to Madrid’s identity than he is now. Istanbul will not just be another Super Cup. For a club stung by Barça’s recent superiority in the competition, it will feel like a test of whether the balance of power is really shifting, or about to swing back.
