Vinicius vs Argentinians: The never-ending South American rivalry heating up European football
From World Cup taunts to Champions League confrontations, the ongoing feud between Vinicius Jr and Argentine players shows no sign of cooling down.
The latest chapter in football’s eternal Brazil-Argentina rivalry has unfolded in European club competitions, with Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr at the center of an increasingly bitter feud with Argentine players.
The Benfica incident
The recent Champions League clash between Benfica and Real Madrid added another chapter to this saga when Vinicius filed a complaint against young Argentine Prestianni for an alleged racist insult. But this was merely the latest flare-up in what’s become a proper barney between the Brazilian star and various Argentine players.
Nicolas Otamendi, Benfica’s veteran defender, deliberately lifted his shirt to show Vinicius his tattoos of Messi, the World Cup trophy, and the phrase ‘eternal glory’ - a not-so-subtle reminder of Argentina’s recent international success at Brazil’s expense.
”I’ve won the World Cup, you haven’t”
This tension has deep roots. During a World Cup qualifier at El Monumental in March 2025, Argentina hammered Brazil 4-1 in a match already simmering with pre-game needle.
During that international clash:
- Leandro Paredes reminded Rodrygo he possessed a World Cup and two Copa Americas
- Vinicius responded with “we have five” - referencing Brazil’s World Cup haul
- Further words were exchanged between Vini and both Otamendi and Paredes
Madrid derbies have provided another stage for these confrontations. During a 2024 Copa del Rey tie at the Metropolitano, Rodrigo De Paul took his turn to wind up Vinicius.
After Vinicius reportedly pointed to his badge saying “I play for Real Madrid, who are you?”, the Atlético midfielder delivered the now-familiar retort: “I’ve won the World Cup, you haven’t.”
Simeone joins the fray
Even Diego Simeone has gotten involved in the needle. During the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia, the Atlético manager was heard telling Vinicius: “Florentino will sack you, remember that, he’ll sack you.”
Atlético sources claimed this was in response to Vinicius saying “relax, they’ll give you a penalty now” during a contentious moment in the match.
The situation grew so heated that Simeone later publicly apologized: “I ask forgiveness from Mr. Florentino and Mr. Vinicius. Obviously, it’s not right on my part to put myself in that position.”
The Argentinian manager even referenced Vinicius during an Atlético-Levante match when protesting a yellow card given to Nahuel Molina, shouting at the referee: “You wouldn’t give that to Vinicius!”
No end in sight
What’s clear is that this Brazil-Argentina rivalry, personified by Vinicius and various Argentine players, shows no signs of cooling down. The Lisbon incident is just another stop on what promises to be a long and heated journey.
As we say in the East End, this one’s going to run and run - it’s certainly not a case of apples and pears. The beautiful game sometimes reveals its uglier side when these two South American footballing religions collide.