Benfica vs Real Madrid paused after Vinicius Jr reports alleged racist remark
A Champions League night interrupted
Real Madrid’s Champions League knockout play-off tie away to Benfica was halted for around 10 minutes after Vinicius Jr complained to the referee about an alleged racist comment. The stoppage came moments after the Brazilian forward had scored the only goal of the match in a 1-0 Real Madrid win, but the incident quickly shifted attention away from the football and toward the game’s response to allegations of abuse.
The pause was triggered when referee Francois Letexier activated FIFA’s anti-racism protocol. The match later resumed after discussions involving players, staff and the officials, but the episode remained central to the post-match conversation, with statements from those involved and confirmation that the matter was being reviewed.
What happened before play was stopped
Vinicius Jr had just put Real Madrid 1-0 ahead in the tie. After scoring, he celebrated in front of the Benfica supporters and was shown a yellow card for that celebration. Soon after, he was confronted by Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni.
During the confrontation, Prestianni pulled his shirt up over his mouth while speaking to Vinicius Jr. Vinicius Jr then ran to the referee to report what he said had been said to him. Letexier responded by crossing his arms in front of his face, a signal used to activate FIFA’s anti-racism protocol, and the match was temporarily stopped.
As the stoppage continued, cameras showed Benfica coach Jose Mourinho speaking to a visibly upset Vinicius Jr. During the lengthy pause, a member of the Benfica coaching staff was shown a red card. After a number of discussions between players, coaches and the referee, play resumed.
How the match ended, and a later delay
Real Madrid held on to win 1-0. Mourinho was later sent off for a separate incident. There was also a further short delay late in stoppage time when fans threw objects as Vinicius Jr was attempting to take a corner kick.
While the scoreline was settled on the pitch, the wider focus remained on the allegation, the reaction in the stadium, and the steps taken by match officials in response.
Vinicius Jr: “Racists are, above all, cowards”
After the game, Vinicius Jr posted a message in Portuguese on his Instagram story. In it, he described how he viewed the moment and criticised how the situation was handled.
“Racists are, above all, cowards,” he wrote. “They need to put their shirts over their mouths to demonstrate how weak they are.”
Vinicius Jr also expressed frustration at being booked for his goal celebration and questioned the effectiveness of what followed his complaint. “I received a yellow card for celebrating a goal. I still don't understand why. On the other hand, just a poorly executed protocol that served no purpose,” he wrote.
He added that he did not want the headlines to be about the incident after what he described as a great victory, but said he felt it was necessary to address it. In the same message, he wrote that nothing that happened was new in his life and his family’s.
Prestianni denies racist language
Prestianni later issued a statement in Portuguese on Instagram, which was shared by Benfica on social media. In that statement, he denied making racist comments and said Vinicius Jr had misunderstood what he believed he heard.
“I want to clarify that at no time did I direct racist insults to Vini Jr, who regrettably misunderstood what he thought he heard,” Prestianni wrote. “I was never racist with anyone and I regret the threats I received from Real Madrid players.”
Benfica also posted footage of the incident on X with the message: “As the images demonstrate, given the distance, the Real Madrid players could not have heard what they claim to have heard.”
Officials review the reports
UEFA said the reports “are currently being reviewed” and added that it had “no further information to provide you or any further comment to make on this matter.”
That position left the immediate post-match narrative shaped largely by the accounts and reactions of those directly involved, as well as the visible sequence of events that led to the stoppage.
Mourinho’s post-match comments and the reaction
After the game, Mourinho suggested the situation was influenced by the way Vinicius Jr celebrated his goal. “I told him, when you score a goal like that you just celebrate and walk back,” he said. He added that Vinicius Jr and Prestianni “told me different things,” and said he did not want to take sides: “But I don't believe in one or another. I want to be an independent.”
Mourinho also said: “When he was arguing about racism, I told him the biggest person [Eusebio] in the history of this club was black. This club, the last thing that it is, is racist.”
He then appeared to refer to other occasions in which Vinicius Jr has been subjected to racist abuse in stadiums. “There is something wrong because it happens in every stadium,” Mourinho said. “A stadium where Vinicius plays something happens, always.”
Former Real Madrid midfielder Clarence Seedorf, who was working as a pundit at the match, criticised Mourinho’s remarks. “I think he made a big mistake today to justify racial abuse and I'm not saying that was the case today but he mentioned something more than today,” Seedorf said. “He said wherever he goes these things happen, so he's saying it's OK when Vinicius provokes you, that is it OK to be racist and I think that is very wrong.”
Seedorf added: “We should never, ever justify racial abuse.”
Real Madrid voices: “There’s no place for it”
Real Madrid players and staff also addressed the incident, with several choosing their words carefully given the prospect of an investigation.
Trent Alexander-Arnold said: “I can't comment too much as there is probably an ongoing investigation.” He added: “What's happened tonight is a disgrace to football. It's overshadowed the performance, especially after such an amazing goal.”
Alexander-Arnold also said: “Vini has been subjected to this a few times throughout his career, there's no place for it in football or society. It's disgusting.”
Real Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa said: “You have to ask Benfica's players [about it]. Everyone can see what happened with Prestianni, he put the shirt over his mouth. You have to ask him.” Arbeloa added: “What Vini said is not important, we need to fight against racism in football. We support Vini of course.”
Objects thrown during the corner
Late in stoppage time, play was delayed again when objects were thrown from the stands as Vinicius Jr prepared to take a corner kick. Alexander-Arnold addressed that moment as well, describing the atmosphere in the stadium.
“It's a hostile environment, maybe they were upset with the way Vini celebrated. I don't know what set them off like that,” he said. “Like I said, hostile environment. We are used to it as a team. We take the win, go back home and play again.”
Why the protocol matters — and why it was questioned
The match stoppage followed the visible activation of FIFA’s anti-racism protocol, a process designed to provide a structured response when allegations of racist abuse arise during a game. In this case, the referee’s signal and the pause in play were immediate, and the incident led to extended discussions on the pitch.
However, Vinicius Jr’s post-match message suggested he felt the procedure did not achieve what it was meant to. His description of it as “a poorly executed protocol that served no purpose” underlined a key tension that often follows such incidents: the need to act quickly in the moment, while also ensuring that what follows is meaningful and trusted by those affected.
Context: Vinicius Jr and previous cases
Vinicius Jr has spoken out multiple times about racist abuse he has been subjected to inside stadiums. In 2024, he said he felt “less and less” like playing football because of the abuse.
In June 2024, three Valencia fans were jailed for eight months for racially abusing him during a LaLiga game the previous year, described as the first verdict of its kind in Spain. The content also notes that, in 2025, five people were handed suspended prison sentences for racially abusing Vinicius in an “unprecedented” ruling in Spain, relating to an incident during Real Madrid’s match against Real Valladolid in September 2022.
Those cases form part of the background to why any allegation involving Vinicius Jr attracts immediate scrutiny, and why the response from officials, clubs and teammates is closely watched.
Key points from the night
The match was halted for around 10 minutes after Vinicius Jr reported an alleged racist comment following an exchange with Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni.
Referee Francois Letexier activated FIFA’s anti-racism protocol, temporarily stopping play.
Vinicius Jr had scored moments earlier to give Real Madrid a 1-0 lead and was booked for celebrating in front of Benfica fans.
Prestianni denied making racist comments and said Vinicius Jr misunderstood what he thought he heard.
UEFA said the reports were being reviewed and offered no further comment at this stage.
Real Madrid won 1-0; there was also a later delay when objects were thrown as Vinicius Jr prepared to take a corner.
What happens next
With UEFA stating that reports are under review, the next steps will depend on the outcome of that process. For now, the match stands as another high-profile example of how quickly football can be forced to confront allegations of racism in real time — and how the effectiveness of existing protocols can become part of the story as much as the result itself.