Vinícius and Castillo sent off for hair pulling

In Washington’s stadium, the Spanish international Athenea del Castillo saw the red card just two minutes after coming on in the friendly between Spain and the United States, after pulling the hair of the American Michelle Cooper. The image comes from IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect, with AI‑generated audio.

The football weekend produced two almost identical dismissals with only minutes apart. Both Castillo and Vinícius Júnior, Real Madrid players, were penalised for the same hair‑pulling foul on an opponent.

Details of Castillo’s dismissal

Castillo came on in the 88th minute, replacing Salma Paralluelo, with the team already leading 0‑2. Mexican referee Diana Pérez, after reviewing the incident on the VAR monitor, showed the red card for violent conduct, according to the regulations.

Patri Guijarro defended the player: “We are with Athenea, I am sure it was not intentional, nor in bad faith.” Eva Navarro added: “It’s normal that she is upset; I understand it was accidental and we just have to support her.”

Vinícius Júnior suffers a similar dismissal

Vinícius Júnior experienced an identical dismissal a few minutes later, 6,000 kilometres away, at the Bernabéu during the league match against Villarreal. The Real Madrid winger pulled the hair of Canadian midfielder Saliba; the VAR reviewed the action and the referee showed him the red.

Last season, Franziska Kett of Bayern Munich was also sent off for pulling the hair of Salma Paralluelo, then of Barcelona, in a comparable incident.

Despite the sanction, the Spanish women’s national team won 0‑2, their first victory on American soil, with goals from Patri Guijarro and Eva Navarro in the first fifteen minutes, while Nanclares helped keep the scoreline.

Both dismissals highlight the growing VAR intervention to curb violent conduct in women’s football, reminding of the need to reinforce discipline in the game.