UEFA Hands Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni Historic Six-Match Ban for Homophobic Conduct

UEFA suspended Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni for six matches for homophobic discriminatory conduct directed at Real Madrid forward Vinícius Júnior during the Champions League playoff first leg on February 17, 2026, at the Estadio da Luz. The UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body confirmed the sanction on Friday, with three of the six matches subject to a suspended sentence under a two-year probationary period. Prestianni had admitted to calling Vinícius Júnior "maricon" during the match, a term he defended in a television interview on the Telefe network as a common insult in Argentina. UEFA's investigation found no evidence of racist insults — Vinícius Júnior had initially accused Prestianni of calling him "mono" — but confirmed the homophobic slur. The Spanish press described the ruling as a "historic sanction," with major sports newspapers placing the story in prominent headline positions. 6 (matches) — total suspension handed to Prestianni by UEFA

One match already served, two still to come Prestianni has already served one match of the active portion of the ban, having been provisionally suspended for the Champions League playoff return leg at the Santiago Bernabéu on February 25, 2026, when Real Madrid defeated Benfica 2-1 to advance to the round of 16. Of the six total matches, three are suspended for two years, leaving three active — one of which has been served, meaning two remain. Those two outstanding matches can be served in UEFA club competitions or in national team matches organized by FIFA, according to the official UEFA communiqué. UEFA has formally requested that FIFA extend the suspension on a worldwide basis, a step that opens the possibility of the ban applying to the 2026 World Cup. Kylian Mbappe had confirmed the slurs to media after the February 17 match, adding external corroboration to Vinícius Júnior's initial complaint. Vinícius Júnior has been a central figure in repeated incidents involving alleged racial abuse in European football over recent years, drawing widespread attention to discrimination in the sport. The February 17 playoff first leg ended in a 1-0 win for Real Madrid at the Estadio da Luz, with Benfica subsequently eliminated after the 2-1 defeat in the return leg at the Bernabéu.

World Cup participation hinges on Scaloni's squad call The potential extension of the ban to FIFA competitions places Prestianni's participation in the 2026 World Cup in doubt, with Argentine newspapers including the daily Olé expressing concern about the consequences for the national team. Argentina is scheduled to play two preparation friendlies before the tournament begins — against Honduras on June 6 and Iceland on June 9 — and sports law specialist Ricardo Nascimento told Portuguese outlet O Jogo that FIFA has traditionally counted friendly matches toward the fulfilment of such sanctions. „FIFA usually recognizes private or friendly matches as valid games for the purpose of sanctions. For this, there had to be a request from UEFA, under its article 66, to FIFA so that the sanction is also applied in national team games” — Ricardo Nascimento via SAPO If Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni calls up Prestianni for those two friendlies, the player could clear his remaining suspension before the World Cup group stage begins. Should Scaloni not include Prestianni in the squad, the two outstanding matches would carry over to Benfica's European competitions next season, whether in the UEFA Europa League or Champions League. According to the source in Notícias ao Minuto, if Prestianni is called up and serves the ban in the friendlies, he would be eligible for Argentina's Group J matches against Algeria and Austria at the World Cup.

Mourinho's earlier pledge contrasts with recent team selections Benfica head coach José Mourinho had stated in early March that he would no longer use Prestianni if the allegations against the player were proven true following UEFA's disciplinary investigation. Despite that public position, Mourinho has continued to select the Argentine winger in recent Primeira Liga matches. Prestianni, born on January 31, 2006, is 20 years old and plays as a winger for both Benfica and the Argentina national team. He defended himself publicly after the February 17 incident, writing on Instagram that he had never been racist toward anyone, and later elaborated in the Telefe interview that the term he used was not intended as a slur in the Argentine cultural context. UEFA's disciplinary body rejected that framing, finding the conduct discriminatory on homophobic grounds regardless of the player's stated intent. The ruling is considered a landmark decision by European football's governing body in addressing homophobic language on the pitch.

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Benfica, Real Madrid