Real Madrid star Vinicius has issued a sincere apology to a Brazilian presenter and influencer he was romantically linked to, after she discovered he had been exchanging messages with another model. This development comes amid a wave of public attention.

The 2024 Ballon d’Or runner-up said he wanted to start again with stunning Virginia Fonseca with ‘no lies’ and ‘lots of love, affection and respect.’

Describing the 26-year-old American-born woman, who separated from Brazilian singer Ze Felipe in May shortly after welcoming their third child, as an ‘admirable mother,’ Vinicius expressed profound respect for her. This move appears to be an effort to rekindle their bond.

His unexpected apology is drawing parallels to a previous instance involving Brazil teammate Neymar, who last June publicly apologized to model and influencer Bruna Biancardi on social media following earlier infidelity claims.

She ended up taking the Santos striker back after he wrote: ‘Bru, I ask for forgiveness for my mistakes.’

Currently, on international duty in South Korea, Vinicius made his apology after Italy-based Brazilian model Day Magalhaes released messages indicating she had been in contact with the footballer since May. The situation has captured significant media attention.

Virginia, having traveled to Madrid to watch Vinicius play and rumored to be his new girlfriend, confirmed she ended her communication with the player. She was seen wearing a Real Madrid shirt with his name, fueling the speculation surrounding their relationship.

In his lengthy Instagram Stories apology, the Los Blancos star said: ‘We all go through moments that make us reflect and grow.

Reflecting on the situation, Vinicius stated, “Recently, I found myself in circumstances that compelled me to rethink and recognize behaviors that didn’t align with who I aspire to be or the kind of relationships I want to cultivate.”

‘Virginia is an incredible woman, an admirable mother, and someone for whom I feel enormous affection and respect.

‘Since we met, she has come to Madrid three times to see me, leaving behind her routine, her commitments, and her life just to be with me. I met an admirable mother and an incredible partner.

‘Although we were not yet officially a couple, there was a sincere connection.

‘I am not ashamed to admit that I was careless, that I did not respond in the best possible way and that I disappointed her.

‘That is why I want to apologise publicly, with an open heart, because I understood that a true relationship only exists when there is respect, trust and transparency.

‘The idea now is to start all over again. No lies, no fights, no masks. With lots of love, affection and respect.’

It was not immediately clear this morning if Vinicius’ very public declaration of love would be enough to win Virginia back.

The mum-of-three, born in Connecticut to a Brazilian mother and Portuguese-American father, posted selfie photos of her with her Vini Jr Real Madrid shirt on at the LaLiga giant’s weekend game against Villarreal.

She wrote: ‘Hala Madrid’ in a caption alongside the snaps she showed off to her 53 million Instagram followers.

Day Magalhaes has meanwhile been answering questions from fans on her social media.

She told one who asked her if Vinicius had blocked her after she outed herself as the other woman in his life: ‘No.’

When another asked her if she was with the footballer when he was starting a relationship with Virginia, she replied: ‘Yes.’

Vinicius scored two goals in Real Madrid’s 3-1 win against Villarreal on Saturday, silencing critics who have questioned his form of late.

The footballer has been linked to a string of women this year. One Brazilian news outlet recently said the list was now at eight, and claimed they included Spanish model Victoria Ruiz, Venezuelan model Isabella Ladera and even 2023 Miss New York USA Rachelle Di Stasio after she attended a Real Madrid match.