Real Madrid’s 1–0 victory over Benfica in the UEFA Champions League was overshadowed by fresh allegations of racist abuse directed at Brazilian forward Vinicius Junior, prompting a temporary walk-off and reigniting debate over racism in European football, Al Jazeera reported.
The incident occurred in the 55th minute of Tuesday’s first-half playoff at the Estadio da Luz in Lisbon. Vinicius had just scored a curling strike to give Madrid the lead when he was booked for what he described as an excessive-celebration decision. Moments later, he was confronted by Benfica’s Argentinian winger Gianluca Prestianni.
Prestianni appeared to cover his mouth with his shirt while speaking to Vinicius—a gesture that fueled allegations he had uttered a racial slur. Madrid players immediately reacted, and referee François Letexier paused the match for 11 minutes after activating FIFA’s anti-racism protocol. Real Madrid then left the pitch for approximately ten minutes before play resumed.
Vinicius, who has faced repeated racist abuse in Spain and elsewhere, with 18 legal complaints filed since 2022, later expressed frustration on social media, writing that such incidents were “nothing new” in his life.
Footage from the match appears to show Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe confronting Prestianni and accusing him directly of racism. Mbappe later told reporters he heard the alleged remark repeated several times, a claim echoed by midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni.
Prestianni denied the accusation in a statement on Instagram, saying Vinicius had “misunderstood” what he heard and insisting he had never directed racist insults at anyone.
The episode also drew criticism toward Benfica Manager Jose Mourinho, who got involved in a heated exchange with Vinicius as Madrid left the field. Mourinho said he had heard differing accounts and wished to remain “independent,” but added that controversy seemed to follow the Brazilian player in every stadium.
“There is something wrong because it happens in every stadium,” Mourinho said post-match, comments that drew backlash from former players and pundits.
Former Real Madrid midfielder Clarence Seedorf said Mourinho made “a big mistake” by appearing to justify abuse, while ex-England international Theo Walcott described the remarks as poorly judged. Thierry Henry said to CBS he could relate to Vinicius’ situation, noting that covering one’s mouth while speaking “already looks suspicious.”
Despite the delay and rising hostility from the home crowd, with Vinicius and Mbappe booed heavily after play resumed, the match concluded without further interruption. Madrid will host the second half at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium next week.
The latest controversy adds to ongoing concerns about racism in European football’s top competitions, with players and officials again under pressure to enforce zero-tolerance measures more decisively.
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