Gianluca Prestianni, the Benfica and Argentina winger, has been handed a six-match ban by Uefa for what the governing body described as “homophobic conduct” during a Champions League encounter with Real Madrid in February. The incident involved Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr, who alleged that Prestianni directed a racist slur towards him. However, Uefa’s investigation concluded that the conduct was homophobic in nature rather than racist.
The suspension, announced on Friday, includes a one-match ban that Prestianni has already served, meaning he will miss a further two matches. The remaining three games of the six-match penalty have been suspended for a probationary period of two years. The ban applies to all Uefa club and representative national team matches for which Prestianni would otherwise be eligible.
Prestianni, who denied the charge of using racist language, was provisionally suspended from the return leg of the Champions League play-off on 25 February 2026, which Real Madrid won. Uefa has also requested that FIFA extend the suspension worldwide, ensuring the ban is enforced across all football jurisdictions.
The incident has reignited discussions about discrimination in football, with Uefa emphasising its zero-tolerance policy towards any form of discriminatory behaviour. Both clubs have refrained from further comment pending the full written decision from Uefa.
