UEFA has appointed an ethics and disciplinary inspector to look into accusations of a racist slur aimed at Real Madrid forward Vinícius Júnior during the Champions League playoff match against Benfica on Tuesday.
Vinícius scored the sole goal in the first leg at Estádio da Luz, but his celebration led to a confrontation with Benfica players, particularly Gianluca Prestianni, whom he accused of racial abuse.
The match was halted for 10 minutes as the referee activated UEFA’s anti-racism protocol.
If found guilty of racial abuse under UEFA’s disciplinary code, the 20-year-old forward faces a potential ban of up to 10 matches.
According to a UEFA statement: “An Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector has been assigned to investigate allegations of discriminatory behavior during the UEFA Champions League 2025/2026 knockout playoff between Club Benfica and Real Madrid CF on February 17, 2026.”
Prestianni, 20, refuted Vinícius’ claims on social media, asserting that the Brazilian international “misunderstood what he thinks he heard.”
Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappé stated he overheard Prestianni repeatedly calling Vinícius a “monkey.”
Sources revealed to ESPN that Vinícius is feeling well and appreciates the support from his club and teammates, especially from Mbappé, who was among the first to defend him.
The French forward was captured on Spanish TV Movistar+ confronting Prestianni on the field shortly after the alleged incident, accusing him of racism.
In post-match comments, Mbappé expressed his deep concern for Vinícius and called for necessary actions against Prestianni.
– Seedorf on Mourinho’s reaction to Vinícius: A mistake to excuse racial abuse
– Trent Alexander-Arnold demands ‘justice’ in Vinícius Jr. racism case
– Kylian Mbappé: ‘I overheard’ the racist slurs aimed at Vinícius Júnior
Benfica maintained that Madrid players could not have heard any alleged racist remarks due to the stadium noise and the distance between the players.
Former Benfica captain Luisão criticized the Portuguese team’s stance.
Benfica will face Madrid again at the Bernabéu on February 25, needing to overturn a 1-0 deficit from the first leg.
Contributions to this report were made by ESPN’s Gustavo Hofman.