Gianluca Prestianni, the Benfica winger, has been provisionally suspended by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and will miss his club’s next Champions League match while the governing body investigates allegations he racially abused Real Madrid forward Vinícius Júnior during their recent European tie, reports say.

Prestianni, 20, was involved in a heated moment during the first leg of the UEFA Champions League knockout play-off match between SL Benfica and Real Madrid on 17 February 2026 in Lisbon. After Vinícius scored the only goal of the game, the Brazilian forward approached match officials saying he had been subjected to a racial comment from Prestianni. UEFA’s anti-racism protocol was activated and play was paused for nearly 11 minutes as players from both teams and referee François Letexier addressed the incident.

In its statement on Monday UEFA said its Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body (CEDB) had appointed an Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector (EDI) to investigate the allegations. As a result of the interim report the body decided to provisionally suspend Prestianni for one match for a prima facie violation of discriminatory behaviour provisions under Article 14 of UEFA’s rules. The decision applies to Benfica’s Champions League second leg in Madrid scheduled later this week.

The suspension is temporary and “without prejudice” to any future ruling once UEFA’s full investigation concludes. If the allegations are upheld, Prestianni could face further sanctions under UEFA disciplinary regulations including bans of multiple games.

Prestianni has denied making racist remarks and released his own statement saying that what was reported was a misunderstanding and he had not directed discriminatory language at Vinícius. The controversy has drawn widespread attention across European football with reactions from fans former players and governing bodies alike as the case develops.