The UEFA has initiated an investigation into a recent incident of racism directed at Vinicius Júnior, a player for Real Madrid, during a Champions League match against Benfica. This situation arose when Argentine player Gianluca Prestianni approached Vinicius and reportedly made monkey gestures towards him after Vinicius celebrated a goal with a dance. This taunting led Vinicius to report the abuse to the referee, prompting a temporary halt to the game as the officials followed FIFA's protocol for racism incidents, which included an 11-minute suspension of play.

During this confrontation, Vinicius Júnior received a yellow card for his goal celebration, whereas no disciplinary actions were taken against Prestianni or any other Benfica players involved. Kylian Mbappé, a teammate of Vinicius at Real Madrid, backed him up by confirming he heard the racial slurs and expressed his willingness to abandon the match unless Vinicius himself had requested otherwise. Mbappé vehemently demanded that Prestianni be banned from the competition, asserting that there is no room for racism in the Champions League.

Vinicius took to social media to voice his displeasure with the measures taken by FIFA and UEFA regarding racism in football, implying that the response has not been sufficient in addressing the issue. The situation underscores the ongoing fight against racism in sports, and it raises questions about the effectiveness of current protocols in protecting players from discriminatory behavior during matches.