On Wednesday, UEFA confirmed it has launched an investigation into allegations of racism against Brazilian forward Vinicius Junior during a Champions League playoff match against Benfica. The incident occurred after Vinicius reported that he was racially abused by Argentine player Gianluca Prestiani, who allegedly referred to him as a "monkey" during the game. The match had to be paused for about ten minutes due to the ensuing controversy.

Following this incident, a UEFA ethics and disciplinary inspector has been appointed to thoroughly investigate the claims of biased behavior during the playoff match between Benfica and Real Madrid. This incident has drawn significant attention not only because of the serious nature of the allegations but also due to the ongoing discourse about racism in football, which continues to provoke heated discussions among fans, players, and sports authorities.

Vinicius scored the opening goal of the match at the 50th minute, which led to him taunting the crowd at the Estadio da Luz, prompting a scuffle involving multiple Benfica players that resulted in a yellow card for him from the referee. As tensions escalated during the match, Vinicius made an urgent appeal to the referee, indicating Prestiani as the individual responsible for the racial slur. The outcome of UEFA's investigation could have broader implications for how similar incidents are handled in future football matches across Europe, highlighting the fight against racism in sports.