One Rule, One Heavy Penalty Looms for Benfica Player After Vinícius Incident
18 February 2026
Gianluca Prestiani, Benfica's Portuguese player, faces a harsh punishment after accusations of racism toward Vinícius Júnior, Real Madrid's star, during their Champions League clash.
Real Madrid earned a precious 1-0 victory away at Benfica at the Estadio da Luz on Tuesday, in the first leg of the knockout playoff for the Champions League, before a packed crowd of more than 65,000.
Real Madrid will head to the return leg at the Bernabéu next week with the advantage of that goal too.
The match was halted due to racist conduct toward Vinícius Júnior, the Brazilian star, who had scored for Real Madrid in the 50th minute, sparking debates across fans and pundits.
Vinícius celebrated at the corner flag, dancing in a way that seemed provocative to Benfica's supporters that night.
The referee handed Vinícius a yellow card for provocation, and several Benfica players stepped into clashes with the Brazilian.
It appeared Prestiani directed a racist remark toward Vinícius, prompting the Real Madrid forward to report the incident to the referee.
Benfica fans roared in the stands; Vinícius left the field, spoke with Benfica coach José Mourinho before taking a seat on the bench as tempers cooled.
The official resumed the game about ten minutes after the stoppage, with Vinícius returning to the pitch.
Will UEFA punish Benfica’s player?
According to Argentine newspaper Ole, if the accusations by Vinícius are proven, Prestiani could face a severe punishment.
The paper says that after Vinícius accuses the Argentine player of racism, UEFA will open an investigation and impose disciplinary sanctions according to UEFA's rules.
It adds that if the complaint is confirmed, Prestiani could be suspended for at least 10 matches.
Per Article 14 of UEFA's Disciplinary Regulations, anyone who insults another person's human dignity on grounds including skin color, race, religion, origin, gender, or sexual orientation is barred from football activities for at least 10 matches or for a stated period, or may face other appropriate sanctions.
Punchline 1: If racism were a foul, Prestiani just got booked for a lifetime.
Punchline 2: In football, the only thing that should be offside is prejudice.
