Vinicius Leads Real Madrid in Pre-Season Opener
Vinicius Jr. walked back into a starting XI and straight into a storm.
At Riazor, in his first start of Real Madrid’s pre-season and his first appearance at Deportivo La Coruña’s home ground, the Brazilian not only led the line – he led the team. The Teresa Herrera Trophy brought him the captain’s armband, a symbolic nod from José Mourinho that this side will lean heavily on him again this season.
The welcome from the stands was anything but symbolic. It was loud. And hostile.
Every touch from Vinicius was greeted with a chorus of boos from sections of the home support. The soundtrack never really stopped. Yet if there is one thing the forward has grown used to away from the Santiago Bernabéu, it is this kind of atmosphere. Riazor was just the latest venue to test his resolve.
On the pitch, he stayed locked into his role as one of Madrid’s main attacking outlets in a 1-0 win that was more about rhythm and structure than spectacle.
Captain Vinicius takes centre stage
Mourinho did not ease him in. This was Vinicius’ first start of the summer, his first serious run at building match fitness, and the coach handed him responsibility as if it were mid-season.
Whenever Madrid needed an escape route or a spark, the pattern was obvious: find Vinicius. He dropped off the left flank into pockets where he could receive, turn and drag his team up the pitch. The ball kept gravitating towards him, by design.
The rust still showed. His touch was generally clean, but the lack of competitive rhythm surfaced in key moments. One misplaced pass in midfield opened the door for Deportivo to break, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang suddenly isolated and charging forward as the home side tried to flip the game on its head. Madrid survived it, but it was a reminder that this is still pre-season, even for the stars.
In the final third, Vinicius never quite found the cutting edge that usually defines him. No trademark slaloms ending in a finish, no decisive assist. What he did get, though, was another chunk of minutes that matter to him and to Madrid’s broader plan for the season ahead.
Carreras rides the space Vinicius creates
If Vinicius did not damage Deportivo directly, he certainly damaged their shape.
His constant movement and the defensive attention he demanded opened corridors for others, and Alvaro Carreras read them well. The left-back repeatedly surged into advanced areas, using passes from Vinicius as a launchpad to hit the byline and swing crosses into the box.
That emerging understanding on the left has the potential to become a real weapon. If Mourinho continues to funnel attacks through that side, Carreras’ timing and Vinicius’ gravity could give Madrid a reliable route forward, especially against teams that crowd the middle.
The crowd did not spare Carreras either. Like Vinicius, he was whistled by parts of the Riazor support, with Endrick also targeted during a game that grew increasingly tetchy after incidents involving Deportivo players. The noise, though, did not drown out the tactical clues Madrid offered.
Spanish Super Cup heads to Istanbul
Away from Riazor, another decision with Madrid at its heart has reshaped the coming calendar.
The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has confirmed that the 2027 Spanish Super Cup will leave Saudi Arabia and land in Istanbul, with the Olympic Ataturk Stadium chosen as host. It is a significant shift for a competition that has recently become a lucrative export to the Gulf.
Ataturk Stadium is no stranger to major nights. It staged the UEFA Champions League final in 2023, when Manchester City lifted the trophy, and will now welcome Spain’s four Super Cup contenders in a compact, one-venue tournament.
The RFEF has pointed to the 2027 Asian Cup as the main reason for moving the Super Cup away from Saudi Arabia. Yet the decision also comes at a time when tensions in the Middle East have already forced changes across the sporting map. Formula One has abandoned its Bahrain and Saudi Arabian races for now, with the Qatar Grand Prix moved to Malaysia, and football is feeling those same tremors.
The federation has been clear on one point: this is a pause, not a permanent divorce. The Super Cup is scheduled to return to Saudi Arabia in 2028.
Madrid’s chance to hit back
In Istanbul, the cast is already set. Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Real Sociedad will contest the 2027 edition between February 2 and February 7, all at the Olympic Ataturk Stadium.
For Madrid, it will carry a sharper edge.
Barcelona have dominated the competition recently, winning three of the last four editions. Madrid’s last triumph came in 2024, and the gap since then has stung a club that measures itself relentlessly against its greatest rival.
By the time 2027 rolls around, Vinicius and this evolving Madrid side will expect to be at full power. The boos in La Coruña were just pre-season noise. The real answers will come under the lights in Istanbul.
