Vinicius Jr. Reports Alleged Racism During Real Madrid-Benfica Match

Lisbon, Portugal – The Champions League knockout playoff match between Benfica and Real Madrid was temporarily halted on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, after Real Madrid forward Vinicius Júnior reported experiencing alleged racial abuse from the crowd [CBS Sports]. The incident occurred after Vinicius scored the opening goal in the 50th minute at Benfica’s Estádio da Luz.

Incident Details

Following his goal, Vinicius Júnior was subjected to anger from home supporters, with objects being thrown onto the pitch as he celebrated near the corner flag [CBS Sports]. He received a yellow card from referee François Letexier for his celebration. Vinicius then approached Letexier and pointed towards Benfica player Gianluca Prestianni, alleging racist abuse [The New York Times].

Referee Letexier responded by making a gesture of crossed arms above his head, a signal adopted by FIFA in 2024 to indicate potential racist abuse [CBS Sports]. Television cameras captured Prestianni speaking to Vinicius with his jersey covering his mouth, which Vinicius subsequently referenced although speaking to the referee [CBS Sports].

Statements and Reactions

After the match, Vinicius Júnior posted on Instagram, stating, “Racists are, above all, cowards. They need to put their shirts over their mouths to demonstrate how weak they are. But they have, on their side, the protection of others who, theoretically, have the obligation to punish.” He also expressed confusion over receiving a yellow card for celebrating and criticized the protocol used as “poorly executed” [CBS Sports], [The Independent].

Gianluca Prestianni responded on Instagram, denying the allegations and stating that Vinicius “regrettably misunderstood what he thought he heard.” He also expressed regret over threats received from Real Madrid players [The New York Times].

Real Madrid teammate Trent Alexander-Arnold called the incident “a disgrace to football,” while Kylian Mbappé stated that “something has to be done” and claimed to have heard Prestianni say Vinicius was a “monkey” five times [The Independent].

Benfica released a statement alongside video footage of the incident, noting that the distance between players made it unlikely that Real Madrid players could have heard the alleged comments [The New York Times].

Match Outcome

The match was delayed for approximately 10 minutes [The New York Times], [CBS Sports] and ultimately concluded with a 1-0 victory for Real Madrid.