According to a report by Madrid Universal on Thursday November 5, 2026, according to Samuel Umtiti, who was critical of Real Madrid's performances by Vinicius Junior, the Brazilian has lost his attacking threat and may have been affected by his failure to win the 2024 Ballon d'Or.

His performance following the match against AEK Athens has prompted criticism from other ex-players.

Umtiti told RMC that Vinicius had been performing below par for months. The forward, he said, couldn't finish goals and wasn't as effective offensively.

“I feel sorry for him, He hasn’t been at his best for months now. He’s struggling with his final touch, he’s wasting so many chances – he’s no longer a threat,” Umtiti said.

The former defender thinks Rodri's breakthrough came when he was named 2024 Ballon d'Or winner instead of Vinicius.

Something has been wrong with him ever since he lost the Ballon d'Or. "The sparkling Vini of old is elusive," he continued.

Another theory was put forth by Predrag Mijatovic, a former striker for Real Madrid. He thinks Vinicius is under more pressure than before because of the competition for the left-wing position. The emergence of Yan Diomande as a viable alternative has cast doubt on the Brazilian's starting position.

There was no competition for him before, but now there is, and it shows. Now he's under a lot of pressure to perform well, Mijatovic expressed.

But he is still certain that Vinicius can get back to his best form if he just takes it easy and concentrates.

In his match against AEK Athens, Jorge Valdano also cast doubt on the Brazilian's performance. There was competition for the starting spot, and he felt Vinicius had not done enough to merit it, especially considering Diomande's performance.

The winger, according to Valdano, made just one good move and wasted a lot of opportunities to take on defenders. He elaborated by saying that Vinicius had not been able to regain a starting position that looked to have been taken by Diomande despite his performance.