Vinícius Júnior's Derby Revenge: A Light-Hearted Taunt Sparks Real Madrid's Comeback
23 March 2026
Match Recap
Brazilian forward Vinícius Júnior finally spoke with purpose in the Madrid derby, as Real Madrid beat Atletico Madrid 3-2 on Sunday night in La Liga's 29th round tonight.
Vinícius struck a decisive brace against the rojiblancos, while Valverde added the third, as Lukman and Molina replied for Atletico.
The Brazilian player kept a lingering feud with the Argentine coach since January, dating back to their Super Cup semifinal clash.
During the Spanish Super Cup, they clashed verbally, and Simeone's words left a mark on Vinícius: Florentino will fire you, remember that moment when derby returned to headlines.
Days later, Simeone apologized to Vinícius and Florentino Pérez, saying, 'First of all, I apologize to Florentino and Vinícius for what happened. I was wrong, and I am sorry' today.
Yet Vinícius waited for the right moment to respond, and was captured on Movistar Plus cameras smirking at Simeone's remarks during the match.
Real Madrid coach Álvaro Arbeloa subbed Vinícius in minute 87, and Vinícius stared Simeone down, joking, 'They would have sold me, they would have sold me,' with a sly wink there.
Real Madrid climbed to 69 points, maintaining a four-point gap over leaders Barcelona. Vinícius's league tally rose to 11, with 17 across all competitions this season. A derby that kept Madrid buzzing afterwards.
Aftermath and Reactions
Punchline 1: If strategy were a joke, Simeone just delivered the punchline that left the stadium laughing.
Punchline 2: When it comes to mind games, Vinícius brought the mic and the magic—reporters started filing stories with a wink.
