FIFA President Gianni Infantino has urged a new rule for automatic red cards against players covering their mouths during on-field exchanges that trigger racism allegations, following Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr.'s claim against Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni in February's Champions League playoffs. Prestianni, who denies the accusation, was suspended by UEFA for the return leg amid an ongoing probe.
The incident took place during Real Madrid's 1-0 first-leg win over Benfica on February 17, 2026, in Lisbon. Vinicius Jr., after scoring, alleged Prestianni directed a racial slur at him—reported as 'm*nk**'—but the Benfica player covered his mouth, thwarting verification via lip-reading under UEFA's anti-racism protocol. Play was halted for about 10 minutes.
Prestianni has denied the claim, and while Benfica contests any admission of guilt, UEFA provisionally banned him from the second leg at Santiago Bernabéu. Real Madrid won 2-1 on the night for a 3-1 aggregate victory, advancing to the last 16.
On March 2, 2026, Infantino addressed the issue in an interview with Sky News, pushing for stricter measures. 'If a player covers their mouth and says something, and that has a racist consequence, then they have to be sent off, obviously,' he said. 'It must exist, because a player has said something they should not have said. Otherwise, you wouldn’t cover your mouth, you have nothing to hide. I just don’t understand it.'
The International Football Association Board (IFAB) raised the topic at its most recent meeting. Should it be approved, the rule could debut at the 2026 World Cup.
