UEFA breaks silence on Vinicius Jr, Real Madrid’s racism allegations towards Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni in Champions League

During the first leg of the 2025–26 UEFA Champions League playoffs, the spotlight shifted squarely to the controversy surrounding the clash between Benfica and Real Madrid. An incident involving Vinicius Jr. and Gianluca Prestianni — centered on alleged racist remarks made by the Argentine player — sparked a firestorm that has escalated significantly over the past several hours.

UEFA, European soccer’s governing body, is currently overseeing a step-by-step review of the procedures to be followed in connection with the incident. In the past few hours, an official statement addressing the situation has been released.

“The official reports from the matches played last night are currently being reviewed. Where matter are reported, proceedings are opened and should they lead to disciplinary sanctions being imposed, they are announced on the UEFA disciplinary website. We have no further information to provide you or any further comment to make on this matter at this stage.”

According to a report from Sky Sports News via its X account, UEFA has appointed an Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector who will investigate the racism allegations raised by Real Madrid and Vinicius Jr. against Gianluca Prestianni.

The rematch will be played on high alert

While the spotlight shifted due to an off-field controversy, the match itself carried major implications for both clubs’ ambitions. The ball kept rolling, and Real Madrid ultimately secured a crucial road victory to boost its chances moving forward.

As both sides await a final ruling — particularly regarding what could happen with Gianluca Prestianni — the squad led by Jose Mourinho will travel to Madrid next week looking to overturn the result. Benfica fell 1–0 at home and will need to flip the scoreline on the road if it hopes to keep its Champions League campaign alive.