Real Madrid are playing their first match since their UEFA Champions League elimination against Bayern Munich. As a way of showing his frustration over the team’s disappointing season, Vinicius Junior chose not to celebrate his goal against Alaves in La Liga and instead made a peculiar gesture toward the fans.
Kylian Mbappe had given Los Blancos the lead in the 30th minute of the first half after an assist from Arda Guler, and just five minutes into the second half, Vini doubled the advantage with a precise right-footed strike from outside the box that left goalkeeper Antonio Sivera with no chance.
However, it wasn’t the quality of the goal that caught everyone’s attention. Instead of celebrating, as he usually does, Vinicius stood on the pitch and raised his hands in a clear gesture of apology toward the stands at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, followed by another motion with his palm raised.
This was clearly the Brazilian winger’s way of showing fans how much the defeat in Germany—one that knocked Real Madrid out of their main objective of the season—affected him, leaving the club very likely without silverware in the 2025-26 campaign.
Real Madrid are far behind Barcelona in La Liga
After losing the Spanish Super Cup final to Barcelona and being eliminated by second-division side Albacete in the Copa del Rey Round of 16, Real Madrid had focused all their efforts on the UEFA Champions League. With that objective now gone, they remain alive only in La Liga, although their chances of winning the title are slim.
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With Tuesday’s win over Alaves, Alvaro Arbeloa’s side sit second in the standings, six points behind Barcelona, who have a game in hand. If the Blaugrana beat Celta Vigo on Wednesday, they will restore a nine-point lead with just 15 points left to play for.
When was the last time Real Madrid failed to win a trophy in a season?
The current numbers leave Real Madrid facing an undesirable scenario: they are likely to finish the season without winning a single trophy. The last time that happened was in the 2020-21 campaign, which led to Zinedine Zidane’s departure as head coach and the arrival of Carlo Ancelotti the following year.
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In this case, the analysis is even harsher when factoring in the previous season. During 2024-25, Real Madrid won two trophies—the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Intercontinental Cup—but both were single-match competitions against lower-level opponents, which they qualified for based on success in the prior campaign. This means Real Madrid are set to go two consecutive years without winning major titles.
