A Champions League playoff tie between Benfica and Real Madrid descended into chaos on Tuesday night after Real Madrid forward Vinícius Júnior alleged he was the target of a racist insult by an opposition player, leading to an 11-minute halt in play and a firestorm of post-match accusations.
The incident occurred five minutes into the second half at the Estádio da Luz, shortly after Vinícius had curled a stunning goal into the top corner to give the visitors a 1-0 lead. As the Brazilian celebrated by dancing near the corner flag, Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni approached him.
Television footage showed Prestianni pulling his shirt over his mouth before appearing to direct a comment at the Madrid star.
Vinícius immediately ran to referee François Letexier, who activated FIFA’s anti-racism protocol by crossing his arms above his head. The 25-year-old forward then walked off the pitch and sat on the bench, with teammates threatening to follow him off before eventually being persuaded to continue.
In the aftermath, Prestianni issued a firm denial of the accusations through a statement on his Instagram account.
“I want to clarify that at no point did I direct racist insults at the player Vinicius Junior, who unfortunately misinterpreted what he thought he heard,” the Argentine wrote. “I have never been racist towards anyone, and I regret the threats I received from Real Madrid players”.
The denial stood in stark contrast to the account given by Vinícius and his teammates. Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappé was adamant about what he heard, telling reporters after the match that Prestianni had used the slur “mono” (Spanish for monkey) multiple times.
Mbappé called for severe disciplinary action, stating, “This guy doesn’t deserve to play in the Champions League anymore”.
Vinícius took to social media to express his frustration, not only with the alleged abuser but with the system designed to protect players.
“Racists are, above all, cowards,” he wrote on Instagram. “They need to put their shirts over their mouths to demonstrate how weak they are. But they have, on their side, the protection of others who, theoretically, have the obligation to punish”.
He described the anti-racism protocol as “poorly executed” and serving “no purpose,” while also questioning why he was shown a yellow card for his goal celebration.
Real Madrid teammate Trent Alexander-Arnold did not hold back in his condemnation. “What’s happened tonight is a disgrace to football,” the England international told Amazon Prime. “It’s overshadowed the performance, especially after such an amazing goal. Vini has been subjected to this a few times throughout his career, there’s no place for it in football or society. It’s disgusting”.
Benfica head coach José Mourinho, a former manager of Real Madrid, found himself at the center of separate controversy following his comments on the matter.
While confirming that Vinícius and Prestianni had told him “different things,” Mourinho suggested the Madrid forward’s celebration had been provocative. “When you score a goal like that, you just celebrate and walk back,” Mourinho said . He also pointed to Benfica legend Eusébio, who was black, as proof that “the last thing this club is, is racist”.
The remarks drew sharp criticism from pundits. Former Real Madrid midfielder Clarence Seedorf accused Mourinho of making “a big mistake” by seemingly justifying racial abuse.
“He’s saying it’s OK, when Vinicius provokes you, to be racist – and I think that is very wrong. We should never, ever justify racial abuse”.
The match resumed after the lengthy delay, with Real Madrid securing a 1-0 victory ahead of next week’s second leg in Madrid. The atmosphere remained hostile, with Vinícius jeered for the remainder of the game and objects thrown from the crowd during stoppage time.