The Champions League knockout match between Real Madrid and Benfica was paused for 10 minutes after Vinicius Junior reported experiencing racist abuse, prompting him and his teammates to exit the field temporarily.
Referee Francois Letexier signaled the incident, using a crossed arms gesture to indicate that racist abuse had taken place after conferring with Vinicius.
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Vinicius had given the Spanish side a 1-0 lead in the second half at Estadio da Luz before receiving a yellow card for his exuberant celebration.
After an exchange with Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni, Vinicius approached referee Letexier while making gestures towards the opposing player. Following this, he walked off the pitch, with his Real Madrid teammates accompanying him. Play resumed after 10 minutes, at the 60th minute mark.
The match continued to its conclusion, with Real Madrid securing a 1-0 victory after 12 minutes of added time, during which an object thrown from the stands hit Vinicius on the arm.
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The crossed-arms gesture to denote racist abuse was officially introduced by FIFA in May 2024. This gesture is made by on-field referees when they witness or are informed of abuse.
Uefa implemented a three-step protocol to address racism incidents in stadiums back in 2009, with the first step requiring the game to be halted.
Objects were seen being thrown from the crowd during Vinicius’s celebration after scoring a spectacular goal in the 50th minute, leading to a confrontation between players on the pitch. Following this, Vinicius and Prestianni were seen interacting at the halfway line.
Vinicius led his teammates off the field after reporting the incident and spoke with Benfica manager Jose Mourinho, as staff from both teams became involved.
More updates to come.