LISBON, PORTUGAL - FEBRUARY 17: Gianluca Prestianni of SL Benfica confronts Vinicius Junior of Real Madrid C.F. after Vinicius goal celebration during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Knockout Play-off First Leg match between SL Benfica and Real Madrid C.F. at Estadio da Luz on February 17, 2026 in Lisbon, Portugal. (Photo by Gualter Fatia/Getty Images) | Getty ImagesManaging MadridThu, February 19, 2026 at 2:22 AM UTC·8 min readTwenty-four hours later, the football is still secondary.
Real Madrid’s 1–0 victory at the Estádio da Luz should have been remembered for Vinícius Júnior’s brilliant second-half goal and a disciplined away performance in Europe. Instead, the match is now the center of multiple investigations, political involvement, global reactions, and an escalating war of narratives — including some unacceptable tolerance from Benfica’s side.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementHere’s everything you may have missed — and where things stand now.
What Happened on the Pitch
Vinícius scored the only goal of the match and celebrated near the corner flag and received an unwarranted yellow card. Shortly afterward, he approached referee François Letexier to report that Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni had directed racist language toward him.
Prestianni had to cover his mouth with his shirt while speaking.
Letexier immediately activated UEFA’s anti-racism protocol, stopping the match for approximately eight minutes while the situation was assessed. Real Madrid players, including Kylian Mbappé, were visibly furious. Madrid players were ready to leave the pitch before eventually returning to complete the match.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe game resumed. Madrid saw out the win.
New Video Angle Emerges
A new alternate-angle video has since surfaced, providing additional context:
In the footage, Prestianni is seen speaking while Vinícius’ back is turned, meaning the Brazilian could not see whether his mouth was covered. Vinícius immediately runs to the referee to report what was said.
Mbappé, standing nearby, reacts strongly — confronting Prestianni and repeatedly calling him a racist.
The footage challenges Benfica’s early suggestion that Real Madrid players were too far away to hear or understand what was said. Mbappé stated in the mixed zone that he heard Prestianni call Vinícius a monkey five times.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementPrestianni has denied that accusation.
VIDEO: Mbappé to Prestianni — “You’re a fucking racist”:
UEFA Investigation Officially Opened
UEFA has now confirmed that an Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector has been appointed to investigate the matter.
In its statement, UEFA said it is reviewing official reports and has initiated proceedings for a possible violation of its disciplinary regulations.
Under Article 14 of UEFA’s regulations, discriminatory insults can result in a suspension of at least ten matches or other significant sanctions.
UEFA may take statements from both players involved, as well as from nearby witnesses — potentially including Mbappé.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementHowever, proving what was said remains difficult. Because Prestianni covered his mouth, there is no clear lip-reading evidence.
Further developments are expected in the coming days.
Real Madrid Gathering Evidence
Real Madrid are not treating the matter lightly.
The club is collecting visual and audio material from the stadium, not only regarding the exchange between players but also incidents in the stands, where racist gestures were observed:
Importantly, Madrid are not generalizing the behavior to Benfica as an institution or to its fanbase as a whole. The club understands that inappropriate incidents can occur in any stadium — including the Bernabéu.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementBut that has not stopped them from supporting Vinícius fully.
Benfica’s Response
Benfica have reiterated their support for Prestianni.
In an official statement, the club confirmed it will cooperate fully with UEFA’s investigation while defending its player and reaffirming its commitment to equality and inclusion.
Benfica insists it believes Prestianni’s version of events and has expressed concern over what it describes as a smear campaign against the 20-year-old.
The club also published an Instagram post defending its stance:
Portuguese Government Gets Involved
The case has now moved beyond football authorities.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementPortugal’s Authority for the Prevention and Combat of Violence in Sport (APCVD) has launched an administrative procedure to clarify what happened.
If findings confirm discriminatory behavior, sanctions could range from fines to referral to judicial authorities.
The matter is no longer solely a UEFA issue.
FIFA President Infantino: “There is absolutely no place for racism”
FIFA President Gianni Infantino issued a statement supporting Vinícius and condemning the alleged abuse:
“I was shocked and saddened to see the alleged racist incident against Vinícius Junior in the UEFA Champions League match between SL Benfica and Real Madrid CF. There is absolutely no place for racism in our sport or in society ; we need all relevant stakeholders to take action and hold those responsible accountable,” he said.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementHe continued:
“At FIFA, through the Global Position Against Racism and the Players Panel, we are committed to ensuring that players, referees, and fans are respected and protected, and that appropriate action is taken when incidents occur. I commend referee François Letexier for activating the anti-racism protocol by using his arm gesture to stop the match and address the situation. FIFA and football stand in full solidarity with the victims of racism and any form of discrimination. I will always reiterate: No to racism! No to any form of discrimination!”
Richards: “He’s a coward, an absolute coward”
Former Manchester City defender Micah Richards also criticized Prestianni’s actions on CBS:
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement“He’s a coward, an absolute coward, because now nobody will know what he said, only him and Vinicius. He covered his mouth with his shirt and now we don’t know what happened.”
Richards added:
“From his reaction, you know Vinicius isn’t going to lie about something as serious as that. You can only feel bad for what happened to him, and on top of that, the crowd turned against him too. Everyone knows what’s going on, and to insult him like that after he’d already been insulted… It’s not right.”
Ferdinand: “These rats who make those racist comments must be punished”
Rio Ferdinand posted a video message strongly defending Vinícius:
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement“Should Vini be blamed? Shouldn’t he celebrate like that? How can that be? It’s unacceptable. Football is a beautiful sport. For example, why do we love Roger Milla? Because of how he celebrated with his fans. They’re trying to steal the beauty of this sport from us.”
He continued:
“This kind of trash, these rats who make those racist comments, must be punished. We shouldn’t have to protect them.”
Ferdinand also referenced Mbappé’s role:
“Especially when a teammate of his like Kylian Mbappé has said he heard it. You only cover your mouth when you have something to hide. It’s disgusting. How can people justify those insults over a celebration? Now I want to see how the authorities respond.”
Felipe Melo’s Outburst
Former Brazil international Felipe Melo reacted furiously online:
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement“Fire to the racists. And if you defend racists, fire to you too.”
Melo then went further with a personal remark about Prestianni:
“His wife must have been unfaithful to him with a black man…”
Melo later said he held back from saying more on the advice of his lawyer.
Luísão: “Yes, it was a racist act and I am ashamed of it”
One of the most significant comments came from Benfica legend Luísão, the player with the most appearances in the club’s history.
He questioned Prestianni’s conduct directly:
“That shirt is very big; you have to be worthy to wear the sacred mantle,” he stated.
Luísão then spoke plainly about the incident:
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement“Yes, it was a racist act and I am ashamed of it.”
He also warned against denial:
“Benfica is far too great to be involved in this.”
Managing Madrid’s Kiyan Sobhani: “Full support”
Managing Madrid’s own Kiyan Sobhani strongly backed Vinícius on the podcast:
“Prestianni, what a coward you are. You don’t have the balls to stand by what you said? You have to cover up your mouth because you don’t’ want to get caught?”
He continued:
“Vinicius, good for you for walking off. Full support. That is exactly what he should be doing… Bullshit. He needs to react that way. He needs to walk off. He should be walking off.”
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