Four controversial moments the referee got completely wrong in El Clasico

Barcelona endured one of the most controversial Clasicos in recent memory at the Santiago Bernabeu.

During all that action on the field, the drama unfolded through a series of contentious refereeing decisions that left Hansi Flick’s side and their supporters furious.

Once again, Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr. found himself at the centre of attention, whether he was on the pitch or on the bench.

Match referee César Soto Grado became the main character of the night for all the wrong reasons. Under immense pressure from both sides, the referee struggled to maintain control and made several errors that were later corrected by VAR.

His major misjudgements included a wrongly awarded penalty for Real Madrid involving Lamine Yamal and Vinicius Jr., an offside goal by Kylian Mbappe that should never have stood, and Dani Carvajal’s blatant shove on Ronald Araujo inside the box.

– Sunday, 26 October 2025

The game had barely begun when the first major controversy struck. Vinicius went down in the box after what appeared to be minimal contact from Lamine Yamal .

The youngster held his head in disbelief as the referee immediately pointed to the spot, believing there was clear contact.

A mandatory VAR check soon followed, initially focusing on whether Vinícius had been in an offside position during his run from midfield.

After reviewing the footage, Soto Grado was called to the pitchside monitor for a second look.

Following a brief discussion, the referee overturned his decision. What had initially seemed a certain penalty was, in reality, a fair defensive challenge.

– Sunday, 26 October 2025

Barcelona’s defensive structure may have been under pressure, but their offside trap worked effectively for large spells.

However, in the 12th minute, chaos returned. Kylian Mbappe broke through the lines and slotted past Wojciech Szczesny, believing he had given Real Madrid the lead.

The assistant referee kept his flag down, and Soto Grado allowed the goal to stand.

Moments later, VAR stepped in and correctly identified that Mbappe had started his run from an offside position.

The decision was quickly overturned, yet fans were left baffled at how such a clear offside had gone unnoticed in real time.

– Sunday, 26 October 2025

The tension escalated after Real Madrid’s second goal, this time from Jude Bellingham .

On first glance, it looked legitimate. But replays showed Dean Huijsen catching Pau Cubarsi with his arm in the buildup, causing the young Barcelona defender to lose balance.

Despite the visible contact, Soto Grado waved play on, allowing Madrid to capitalise on the opening.

The Barcelona players protested fiercely, but the referee refused to review the play on the monitor – a decision that left the Catalans seething.

– Sunday, 26 October 2025

In stoppage time, Araujo played as a forward in search of an equaliser. The Uruguayan had rescued Barcelona against Girona under similar circumstances, but this time fate – and officiating – were against him.

As Marc Casado floated a high cross into the box, Dani Carvajal barged into Araujo from behind, sending the defender crashing to the ground.

Soto Grado gestured for him to get up, signalling that it was a fair challenge. However, the replays left no doubt, as it was a clear push inside the penalty area.

Despite the incident being as obvious, there was no intervention this time.