When Vinicius Junior scored the opening goal in Real Madrid's 2–1 win over Rayo Vallecano, the significance of his celebration was impossible to miss. He ran towards the crowd, repeatedly kissing the Real badge on his shirt, before raising his arms and urging the supporters to lift the noise inside the stadium.

Throughout the match he continued to engage with the stands, directing his calls for support towards the ultras, who set the tone inside the Bernabeu. It felt like an intentional celebration - a chance for him to reaffirm his loyalty to a fan base that has not always returned it.

Over the past few months Vinicius has unquestionably become the player most frequently singled out by sections of the Bernabeu crowd with boos, and he was again subject to hostile whistles on Sunday. So why, despite scoring another vital goal, does he continue to divide the Real fanbase?

There is no doubt that Real fans are frustrated. Real were knocked out of the Copa del Rey by a second division side, they missed out on an automatic place in the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League and must go through the play-offs, and they sit below Barcelona in La Liga.

On Sunday they made a win against a team lying 17th in La Liga look difficult, and they are already on their second manager of the season. Things are not right at Real and fans are looking for a player to blame. Vinicius has become that player.

Firstly, his numbers this season have been low. The goal against Rayo Vallecano was his first in La Liga since 4 October. He has contributed eight goals for Real in all competitions, making him the club's second-highest scorer this season. But when you compare that to Kylian Mbappe's 37, the gap is stark, and the expectation is that Vinicius should be producing more.

BBC Sport columnist Guillem Balague says Real fans direct their anger at the player they expect to help them win and also at the player they perceive as least close to the essence of what a Real player should be.

"Vinicius feels very foreign to many fans," Balague says. "His reactions on the pitch, his behaviour, his public disagreements with former manager Xabi Alonso, his perceived lack of respect on the bench during the cup defeat by Albacete - they all give fuel to fans.

Changing the photo in his Instagram profile from a Real one to a Brazil one after being whistled at the Bernabeu, and even pointing out those who do not respect the colour of his skin, are seen as creating unnecessary conflict by some fans.

"Vinicius provokes and is arrogant, but he doesn't get the neutral reading that others get. That constant suspicion must be exhausting, and it explains some of the volatility. The Bernabeu does not appreciate volatility. It's a Catch 22."

It is possible that Vinicius' heightened scrutiny is also because of a racist undertone that exists within some Spanish football fans. Vinicius has been the victim of numerous racist attacks while playing for Real. In May five people were handed suspended prison sentences for racially abusing him during a game against Real Valladolid in 2022. In 2024 Vinicius said "I'm not a victim of racism - I am a tormentor of racists" after three Valencia fans were sentenced to eight months in prison for abusing him in 2023.

His yellow card on Sunday - his fifth of this La Liga season - means he will be unable to play in Real's match against Valencia next Sunday. Some Valencia fans claimed on social media that Vinicius purposely got a yellow card to avoid having to play at the Mestalla.

Balague says: "Vinicius was feared by rivals and got whistled everywhere. He decided to face the critics and even fight them from a distance. Racist abuse showed its ugly face because in Spain many people wrongly feel that in football everything is allowed.

"Vinicius denounced and fought racism with not enough backing from the media, other players or football in general and, at the start, La Liga. Now La Liga has become the vanguard of that fight. There are plenty at the Bernabeu and everywhere else who feel players shouldn't fight injustice, racism, discrimination. They want them to be only players.

"Vinicius, who has lived with discrimination since he was born, will not accept that. When you leave the house with the deep feeling that you do not fit, sometimes the source of your frustration, or the way to show it, can be confusing."

The fact that Vinicius has not renewed his contract may be fuel that has fired up Los Blancos fans. In the eyes of some supporters, a players' commitment is measured not only by his performances on the pitch but also by his long-term loyalty to the club.

So when a star like Vinicius delays signing an extension, even though Real had it prepared before last summer's Club World Cup, it can be interpreted as a lack of faith in the project or a desire to leave when the timing suits him, even if that is not intended.

At Real, where the expectation is that the best players should be fully invested in the badge, uncertainty over a contract can quickly be read as a sign that he is not "all in". Perhaps that is why Vinicius has gone out of his way in recent weeks to demonstrate his loyalty through social media captions and badge-kissing celebrations.

He reportedly paused contract talks because he was unhappy working under Alonso. Since then, new manager Alvaro Arbeloa has repeatedly expressed his desire for Vinicius to remain at the club, while acknowledging that the final decision is not his to make.

Balague says: "Real Madrid would renew his contract today or certainly before it finishes in 2027. Vinicius is thinking about it, and renewing is still the most likely outcome. I wonder if his doubts now have to do with the fans still directing their anger at him. Why be where you are not fully wanted, even being one of the best?"