Vinicius Junior: Who is Prestianni, the Benfica player accused of racist insult by Real Madrid star?

Forward Vinicius Junior reported being the target of racist abuse during the match between Benfica and Real Madrid on Tuesday at the Estadio da Luz in the Champions League.

After scoring a stunning goal and celebrating with a dance by the corner flag, he was allegedly insulted by Gianluca Prestianni, an Argentine player from the Portuguese club, who covered his mouth with his shirt while speaking to the Brazilian.

The referee stopped the match, activated the racism protocol, and chaos ensued. Mbappe supported the Brazilian during the incident and confronted Benfica players.

Vini Junior also exchanged words with Benfica head coach Jose Mourinho. The match resumed minutes later and Vinicius Junior was booed by the Portuguese supporters every time he touched the ball. Prestianni, for his part, received a standing ovation when he was substituted near the end of the match.

Argentine defender Otamendi, of Benfica, also exchanged words with Vinicius Junior after the stoppage. At the end of the match, the centre-back lifted his shirt and pointed to one of his tattoos in a possible allusion to the World Cup title won in 2022.

In the final minute of the game, one supporter threw a cup and another hurled a bottle onto the pitch, both in the direction of Vinicius Junior.

Who is Prestianni?

Born in Ciudadela, Argentina, Prestianni came through at Velez Sarsfield in 2022 and, at the end of 2023, signed a contract with Benfica. The Portuguese club paid a fixed fee of £7.6m (€9m) at the time to secure the young player.

This season, the 20-year-old Argentine forward has made 29 appearances, starting on 13 occasions, and has contributed two goals and one assist.

He has already played for Argentina's youth teams and also for the senior side on one occasion. At the end of last year, he was called up for a friendly against Angola and made his debut in a match that ended in a 2-0 victory.

Vinicius Junior takes a stand once again

Forward Vinicius Junior has already suffered racist abuse in several Real Madrid matches in recent years in Spain. This is the first incident outside the country.

The Brazilian forward has transformed the persecution into a fight, occupying an important role – unprecedented in football – in the battle against racial discrimination.

He uses his voice to expose this serious problem and fight for change, saying that his struggle is not just personal, but so that future generations suffer less from prejudice and inequality.

His stance has drawn support from organisations and colleagues, as well as pushing for real punishments against the aggressors.