UEFA handed Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni with a six-match suspension on Friday, April 24 for “discriminatory (homophobic) conduct” rather than the initial racism accusation made by Real Madrid's Vinícius Júnior during their Champions League knockout play-off at the Estádio da Luz.
The incident took place in February 2026 during the first leg which Madrid won 1-0. After Vinícius scored and celebrated near the corner flag, Prestianni confronted him while covering his mouth with his jersey. Vinícius reported the incident to the referee, alleging he had been called a racial slur, with Kylian Mbappé strongly backing the claim in his post-match interview.
During the game, the referee activated FIFA's anti-racism protocol, leading to a 10-minute suspension of play for officials to assess the situation. While no red card was issued on the field, UEFA opened a disciplinary investigation after the match and Prestianni received a provisional one-match suspension, which prevented him from playing in the second leg in Madrid.
During the investigation, the 20-year-old admitted to using a homophobic slur but denied any racial abuse, stating he had covered his mouth while speaking.
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Details Of The Ban
UEFA's six-match suspension is split into two parts, with three matches imposed as an immediate ban and the remaining three suspended for a two-year probationary period.
This effectively reduces the active punishment to three matches, one of which has already been served during Prestianni's provisional suspension, leaving two matches still to be completed.
UEFA has requested FIFA to extend the ban worldwide, meaning it could apply to Argentina's matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Prestianni, 20, is considered one of Argentina's emerging attacking talents. Following U-17 appearances, he received his first senior call-up in November 2025 and debuted against Angola.
Other Players Who've Faced Similar Bans
UEFA and other governing bodies have tightened regulations around discriminatory conduct in recent years, with punishments varying depending on the nature and severity of the offence.
While UEFA guidelines typically prescribe a minimum 10-match ban for proven racist abuse, other forms of discriminatory conduct continue to be assessed on a case-by-case basis. Here are some of the players who have been banned due to racial and homophobic offenses:
- Rodrigo Bentancur (Tottenham Hotspur) was handed a seven-match ban by the English FA in 2024 after a racial remark about teammate Son Heung-min during a media appearance was deemed an aggravated breach.
- Marco Curto (Como) received a 10-match suspension from FIFA in 2024 for racially abusing Hwang Hee-chan during a pre-season friendly, one of the more severe recent sanctions.
- Luis Suárez was banned for eight matches in 2011 after being found guilty of racially abusing Manchester United's Patrice Evra.
- Mohamed Camara (AS Monaco) served a four-match Ligue 1 ban in 2024 for taping over an anti-homophobia badge on his jersey during a match.
- Gianluca Prestianni (Benfica) has now joined that list, with UEFA handing the 20-year-old a six-match ban in 2026 for homophobic conduct toward Vinícius Júnior during a Champions League fixture.
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