Andrés Roca Rey, the Peruvian matador nicknamed the “Messi of matadors,” was thrown into a terrifying struggle when a charging bull caught him between its horns and lifted him off the ground in a French bullring.

The 29-year-old was attacked by the black bull, Vicioso, during a bullfight in Arles, southern France, last week. Dramatic footage shows the animal ramming Roca Rey from behind before tossing him onto its head, leaving the matador trapped behind the bull’s left horn.

Roca Rey desperately clung to the animal as it carried him around the amphitheatre, flailing and struggling to free himself.

As the seconds passed, around ten men rushed into the ring and fought to restrain the powerful animal. They eventually managed to stop the bull and support Roca Rey while others tried to pull him clear.

The group then used coloured sheets to distract Vicioso and draw it away from the bloodied matador.

Remarkably, Roca Rey was helped back onto his feet and returned to face the bull.

The bull was subsequently struck by a banderilla, a barbed wooden dart traditionally used during Spanish bullfighting.

 

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A Career Filled With Close Calls

Roca Rey is one of the biggest stars in modern bullfighting and has become known for his daring style, earning him comparisons with Argentine football icon Lionel Messi.

He was brought to Spain at the age of 13 to develop his career as a bullfighter and later became a Spanish citizen.

But his rise to the top has been accompanied by a series of frightening encounters inside the ring.

Just months before the Arles attack, Roca Rey was gored in Seville in April. He suffered a deep wound to his leg after being impaled by a bull and lifted into the air.

The matador has also endured other serious incidents, including a horrifying encounter in October 2024.

On that occasion, Roca Rey was caught on the bull’s horns and tossed around like a rag doll before being flipped into a somersault and slammed onto the sand.

He curled into a ball in an attempt to protect himself, but the animal launched another attack, catching his clothing with its horns and violently shaking him as bystanders rushed to help.

The extent of his injuries was not immediately clear, although he was reported to have suffered concussion and a shattered right cheekbone and was ordered to rest by doctors.

Gored Five Times in His First Five Fights

Roca Rey first attracted widespread media attention after shocking footage emerged of him being gored by a charging bull in 2016.

The then-teenager was attempting a flamboyant pass with his cloak when the animal caught him on its horns.

He was spun around the bull’s head before being thrown onto the arena floor. The animal then gored and trampled him as stunned spectators watched, with helpers eventually carrying his apparently lifeless body from the ring.

Roca Rey was reported to have been gored five times during his first five fights, underlining just how dangerous his chosen profession has been.

Despite the repeated injuries and near misses, he has continued to compete at the highest level.

His latest ordeal in Arles comes amid growing opposition to bullfighting in Spain. Polling in 2025 found that around 77 per cent of Spaniards opposed the practice, including more than 80 per cent of people under the age of 35.

For Roca Rey, however, the latest encounter was another brutal reminder of the risks faced every time he steps into the ring.