Vinicius Jr’s chin surgery and the racist abuse nobody wants to address

Last Updated on 21 July 2026

Days after Brazil’s early exit from the World Cup, Vinicius Jr surfaced in photographs that stopped social media in its tracks. His jawline was sharper. His chin more defined.

Within hours, Marca had confirmed what the images already suggested: the 26-year-old had undergone a chin harmonisation procedure at a private clinic in Goiania, Brazil.

The question the football world has been quietly circling ever since is not whether he had the surgery, the doctor confirmed it. It is why he felt he needed to.

Vinicius Jr’s chin procedure could be linked to years of racist mockery

According to Marca, Vinicius underwent the chin harmonisation procedure at the clinic of dermatologist Dr Alessandro Alarcao, who confirmed the surgery on social media. The treatment uses facial fillers to sculpt and define the chin contour.

His chin had been the subject of scrutiny during the World Cup itself. The kind rooted in a years-long campaign of racist abuse that has followed Vinicius throughout his time in Spain. Since 2022, there have been legal complaints of racist behaviour against Vinicius.

In May 2025, five people received prison sentences in a landmark ruling. It was the first time racism in football had been condemned as hate crime, after abuse directed at him during a win over Valladolid. Atletico fans were recorded chanting “you are a monkey” outside the stadium.

A Spanish football agents’ president told Vinicius to stop dancing like a “monkey” on national television. The abuse has been relentless, specific and focused on his appearance. Reports in Brazil have linked the surgery directly to the racist abuse he has faced over his features.

Fan reaction online was divided but the most resonant response came from those who understood the context. “Actually breaks my heart that he felt he needed to do this to his face. He looked perfectly fine before. I hate the effects of the internet.”

What it means for Vinicius who gave everything at this World Cup

Vinicius scored four goals in five World Cup games, netting twice against Scotland, once against Paraguay and once against Japan before Brazil’s shock exit to Norway in the Round of 16: their earliest elimination in 36 years. He was arguably Brazil’s best player throughout.

Vinicius returned home to a country gutted by the result and chose, privately, to undergo a procedure that nobody asked him about and that he has not publicly explained. Real Madrid, under new manager Jose Mourinho, begin their pre-season with a friendly on August 1.

Vinicius is expected to report for pre-season shortly. But, despite being one of the best wingers in the world, and Brazil’s most important player, he’ll return to a manager who was involved in a racism controversy only last season related to Vinicius.

The surgery will be discussed as celebrity gossip. It deserves to be discussed as something considerably more serious than that.