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A bizarre conspiracy theory claiming that Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr. has been replaced by a double has started circulating on Brazilian forums and TikTok accounts, according to Spanish sports newspaper MARCA.
The unfounded claims suggest that Vinicius disappeared under mysterious circumstances and that another person has since stepped in to fulfil his football and advertising commitments. The player's entourage and Real Madrid have reportedly chosen to completely ignore the claims.
According to MARCA, some social media users have pointed to supposed differences in Vinicius' thigh tattoos, arguing that the player seen during Brazil's training camp and match against Australia was not the same person who plays for Real Madrid.
One version of the theory, highlighted by the social media account @BlackBondPtv, goes considerably further by claiming that the CIA, the Rothschild family and unnamed "elites" killed Vinicius after the World Cup and replaced him.
Changes in the Brazilian forward's physical appearance have also been brought into the theory, which MARCA said began spreading mainly through Brazilian forums and TikTok accounts in September 2026.
The conspiracy has also taken on an extraterrestrial angle, with some users linking the supposed replacement of Vinicius to claims that reptilian aliens invaded during the World Cup and abducted both Vinicius and Neymar.
MARCA also cited a video from psychic Vo Bahiana, who described a dream in which aliens entered a football stadium and took players and thousands of spectators away aboard spacecraft.
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"I have to tell you that I dreamed again about aliens invading the soccer field in Miami. And I clearly saw how they took the players away in the first ship that arrived," Bahiana said in the video.
Despite the theory continuing to circulate online, MARCA reported that both Vinicius' circle and Real Madrid have paid no attention to the claims.
The speculation over Vinicius' appearance comes after the Real Madrid forward underwent a cosmetic procedure following Brazil's elimination from the 2026 World Cup.
As Data Football reported in July, doctor Alessandro Alarcao confirmed that Vinicius had undergone what he described as "facial naturalization," a procedure intended to give greater definition to his chin and jawline while preserving a natural appearance.
The documented procedure provides context for the visible changes that have since been picked up by social media users and folded into the wider conspiracy theory.
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