Jude and Vini will need to be extremely careful today in New Jersey. Their fate depends not only on their own restraint but also on how lenient Brazilian referee Ramón Abatti is with his whistle. A yellow card for either Real Madrid player would mean suspension from a potential semi-final against PSG or Bayern Munich—a very real risk.
Vinicius, in particular, is the team’s most frequently booked player this season, even counting this World Cup extension. He’s already accumulated 16 yellow cards. And the second-most booked? That would be Bellingham, with 12.
Most of Vinicius’ bookings (10) have come in LaLiga, often for dissent—part of his ongoing battle with Spanish referees. He says he feels more at ease with Champions League officials, but here in the U.S., he’s already picked up one yellow. One more, and he’s suspended.
Only players who go completely card-free through the quarter-finals are guaranteed to play in the semis. The only way to miss the final is by seeing red in the semis, not by card accumulation. This rule change—at least in UEFA competitions—was partly influenced by Xabi Alonso’s infamous yellow against Bayern in the 2014 semi-final second leg in Munich, which ruled him out of the final, La Décima.
Now, under Xabi’s tactical system, Vinicius is required to be more involved and disciplined in the press, increasing the chance of a mistimed challenge and another booking. If the game tilts in Madrid’s favor, Xabi has cards to play. Gonzalo could come off the bench to replace Vini; he’s used to playing wide from his early days with Castilla and the U-19s. Even the melancholic Rodrygo could lend a hand.
Jude, meanwhile, has a recent reminder at home of how costly a yellow card can be. His younger brother Jobe picked one up in the round of 16 against Rayados—without even realizing it at the time—and that booking keeps him out of today’s match. So no Bellingham vs. Bellingham.
As for today’s referee, Ramón Abatti has taken a relaxed approach in this tournament. He did send off Asensio in the sixth minute against Pachuca in Charlotte, but the offense left little room for doubt. In total, he’s only shown two yellow cards across two matches—not exactly trigger-happy. A bit of relief, then, for Jude, Vini, and Madrid.
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