• Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr. accused Benfica's Prestianni of racially abusing him.
• The match was suspended for nearly 11 minutes under FIFA's anti-racism protocol.
• Vinicius scored the game's only goal, leading to a tense on-field exchange.

The UEFA Champions League playoff match between Real Madrid and Benfica was suspended for nearly 11 minutes due to allegations of a racial slur directed at Brazilian forward Vinicius Junior. The incident occurred shortly after Vinicius scored a stunning goal in the 50th minute, giving Real Madrid a 1-0 lead at the Estadio da Luz, when he had a heated exchange with Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni. Referee Francois Letexier invoked FIFA's anti-racism protocol after Vinicius reported the comments to him, displaying a crossed-arms gesture, a signal for such incidents, before halting the match, according to Reuters, Al Jazeera, and aa.

Vinicius, who has faced racial abuse multiple times during his career, celebrated his goal with a dance but was subsequently booked for excessive celebration. Following the goal, tensions intensified as Vinicius and Prestianni exchanged heated words, resulting in players from both sides engaging with officials regarding the allegations. Real Madrid players threatened to leave the field, but the match resumed after discussions, according to Al Jazeera and aa.

Following the match, Real Madrid's captain Federico Valverde and coach Alvaro Arbeloa expressed strong condemnation of the alleged abuse. Valverde noted, “it is unbelievable that, with dozens of cameras in the stadium, none could have caught Prestianni’s racial slur,” highlighting the pressing issue of racism in football. Arbeloa emphasized the necessity to combat such behavior within the sport. Their remarks came amid growing discussions about the prevalence of racism in football, particularly aimed at Vinicius, according to Reuters, Al Jazeera, and aa.