UEFA has appointed an Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector to investigate allegations of racist insults aimed at Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior during the first leg of the Champions League playoff on Wednesday, February 18, 2026, early morning WIB, at Benfica's home.
Vinicius scored the only goal in the first leg at the Estadio da Luz. However, during his celebration, he got into a dispute with Benfica players, including Gianluca Prestianni, who accused the Argentine midfielder of racial abuse.
The match was halted for 10 minutes after the referee initiated UEFA's anti-racism protocol.
The 20-year-old midfielder faces a potential 10-match ban if found guilty of racial abuse under UEFA's Disciplinary Code.
"A UEFA Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector has been appointed to investigate allegations of discriminatory behaviour during the 2025/2026 UEFA Champions League playoff between Benfica and Real Madrid on 17 February 2026 (local time)," said UEFA.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino said he was shocked and saddened to see the alleged racism incident, and praised the referee for activating the anti-racism protocol.
"There is absolutely no place for racism in our sport and in society. We need all relevant stakeholders to take action and hold those responsible to account," Infantino said on social media.
Prestianni denied Vinicius' accusations on social media. He stated that the Brazilian player misinterpreted what he thought he had heard.
However, Kylian Mbappe said he heard Prestianni call Vinicius a "monkey" five times.
Meanwhile, launching ESPN, Vinicius is reported to be in good condition and is very grateful for the support he has received from the club and his teammates, especially Mbappe, who is one of the first Real Madrid players to defend.
The French star was caught on TV cameras shortly after the alleged incident, confronting Prestianni on the pitch and accusing him of racism.
Speaking to reporters after the match, Mbappe said he was very sad for Vinicius while demanding that action be taken against Prestianni.
On the other hand, Benfica argued that Real Madrid's players were unlikely to hear the alleged racist abuse because of the noise in the stadium and the distance between players.
However, the objection turned out to make Jose Mourinho's team even more cornered. Former Benfica captain Luisao was among those who criticized the attitude of the Portuguese team.
Apart from that, Benfica will face Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu in the second leg, February 25, 2026, and need to reverse the 0-1 deficit from the first leg.
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