UEFA Champions League drama erupted in Lisbon on Tuesday night after Vinícius Júnior reported alleged racist abuse during Real Madrid’s tense 1–0 victory over Benfica, forcing a 10-minute stoppage.
The Champions League knockout phase play-off at the Estádio da Luz was halted after Vinícius accused Benfica midfielder, Gianluca Prestianni of racially abusing him.
The incident occurred shortly after Vinícius had given Real Madrid the lead in the second half with a stunning goal.
Following an on-field exchange with Prestianni, the 25-year-old ran to referee François Letexier, gesturing towards the Benfica player.
Letexier responded by making the crossed-arms gesture, the FIFA-approved signal to indicate a report of racist abuse.
Moments later, Vinícius led his Real Madrid teammates off the pitch as play was suspended for 10 minutes before resuming in the 60th minute.
Why Vinicius Jr Was Booked for Celebrating Explained
Before the stoppage, Vinícius had been yellow-carded for excessive celebration after dancing by the corner flag, an action that reportedly sparked tension on the pitch.
Objects were later thrown from the crowd, with one striking the Brazilian on the arm during stoppage time.
Real Madrid held on to win 1–0, sealing victory after 12 minutes of added time, amid the disruption.
Following the match, Vinícius released a strongly worded statement on Instagram, condemning the incident and the handling of it.
He wrote, word for word:
“Racists are, above all, cowards.”
“They need to put their shirts in their mouths to show how weak they are, but they have the protection of others who, theoretically, have an obligation to punish them.”
“Nothing that happened today is new in my life or in my team’s life.”
“I received a yellow card for celebrating a goal. I still don’t understand why. On the other hand, it was just a poorly executed protocol that served no purpose.”
Benfica’s Prestianni Denies Allegations
Benfica’s 20-year-old midfielder, Gianluca Prestianni firmly denied directing any racist abuse at the Real Madrid star.
He said:
“I want to clarify that at no time did I direct racist insults to Vini Jr, who regrettably misunderstood what he thought he heard.”
“I was never racist with anyone and I regret the threats I received from Real Madrid players.”
Benfica also issued a public defence of their player, posting on their official X (formerly Twitter) account alongside video footage of the incident.
The club wrote:
“As the images demonstrate, given the distance, the Real Madrid players could not have heard what they claim to have heard.”
José Mourinho Weighs In
Benfica manager, José Mourinho was seen speaking with Vinícius on the pitch after the Real winger decided to walk off.
In his post-match interview, Mourinho revealed that both players gave conflicting accounts of the incident.
He said:
“They [Vinícius and Prestianni] told me different things. But I don’t believe in one or another.”
“I want to be an independent.”
Mourinho also criticised Vinícius’ goal celebration and suggested it inflamed the situation:
“Yes. I believe so.”
“It should be the crazy moment of the game, an amazing goal. Unfortunately [he was] not just happy to score that astonishing goal.”
“When you score a goal like that, you celebrate in a respectful way.”
“I told [Vinícius], when you score a goal like that you just celebrate and walk back.”
“When he was arguing about racism, I told him the biggest person in the history of this club was black.”
“This club, the last thing that it is, is racist.”
UEFA’s Racism Protocol Explained
UEFA operates a three-step anti-racism protocol, introduced in 2009:
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Match stopped and stadium announcement made.
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Players leave the pitch for 5–10 minutes if abuse continues.
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Match abandoned if behaviour persists after restart.
The crossed-arms gesture used by Letexier was introduced by FIFA in May 2024 to formally acknowledge reports of racist abuse.
A Racist Pattern for Vinícius Jr
This latest episode adds to a long list of racist incidents suffered by Vinícius throughout his career. In recent years:
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Multiple Spanish clubs have been fined or sanctioned.
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Several fans have received stadium bans and prison sentences.
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In May 2025, five people received suspended prison sentences in Spain for racially abusing him.
Vinícius himself admitted in March 2024 that he felt “less and less” like playing football due to the constant abuse.
