UEFA will investigate the racism claims made by Vinícius Júnior in Real Madrid‘s game against Benfica.
Vinícius scored a brilliant goal in a 1-0 win in the first leg of a Champions League knockout tie on Tuesday, but it was overshadowed by his accusations against Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni.
Prestianni faces a potential 10-match ban if found guilty of racial abuse in UEFA’s disciplinary code.
The European football governing body said Wednesday it has appointed a special investigator to gather evidence.
“A UEFA Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector has been appointed to investigate allegations of discriminatory behaviour during the UEFA Champions League 2025/2026 knockout playoff between Club Benfica and Real Madrid CF on 17 Feb. 2026,” a statement confirmed.
“Further information regarding this matter will be made available in due course.”
