In the first leg of the Champions League playoffs between Benfica and Real Madrid, which ended 1-0 in favor of the Spanish side, Vinícius Júnior reported an alleged racist insult from Argentine player Gianluca Prestianni. The match was paused briefly as the Brazilian refused to continue playing. Vinícius later issued a statement calling Prestianni a coward and challenging the referees.
Benfica hosted Real Madrid at Estádio da Luz in Lisbon for the first leg of key 3 in the Champions League playoffs on February 17, 2026. The match, which started at 5:00 PM Argentina time, ended with a 1-0 victory for Real Madrid courtesy of a goal by Vinícius Júnior at the 4th minute of the second half. Statistics showed 56% possession for Real Madrid and 44% for Benfica, with 15 shots on goal from the Spanish team compared to 10 from the Portuguese side.
The highest tension moment occurred in the second half when Vinícius accused Benfica's Argentine midfielder Gianluca Prestianni of a racist or xenophobic insult. Reports indicate the game was halted for several minutes as Vinícius refused to continue playing, but it resumed after the accusation could not be verified at the time. Prestianni received a yellow card at the 32nd minute of the second half and was substituted at the 35th by Dodi Lukebakio.
After the match, Vinícius posted a statement on social media directly accusing Prestianni of being a 'coward' and questioning the referees' work, led by François Letexier. The Brazilian forward wrote: 'At minute 60, the Benfica player called me monkey,' though this specific claim comes from varied reports. The Brazilian national team responded on social media with a post stating 'It's a crime,' condemning the incident.
Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius's teammate at Real Madrid, demanded Prestianni's expulsion from the Champions League, stating to cameras: 'There must be an exemplary sanction.' Meanwhile, Benfica's Argentine defender Nicolás Otamendi had a tense gesture toward Vinícius before the alleged insult. Gianluca Prestianni replied on his social media denying the accusations and reporting received threats.
Additionally, José Mário dos Santos Mourinho Félix from Benfica was expelled at the 39th minute of the second half with a red card. Benfica announced an internal investigation into the incident, according to some reports, though UEFA has not issued an official statement. The return leg is scheduled for February 25 at Santiago Bernabéu.
