FIFA Upgrades Gianluca Prestianni Suspension Over Vinicius Junior Abuse

Many fans felt the Benfica winger had initially got away lightly.

Gianluca Prestianni covered his mouth before speaking. | Valter Gouveia/Sports Press Photo/Getty Images

FIFA agreed to extend Gianluca Prestianni’s suspension for a homophobic slur he used towards Vinicius Junior worldwide, putting the Argentina international’s 2026 World Cup in doubt.

Cowardly covering his mouth so that no one could definitively prove what was said, Prestianni uttered something despicable towards Vinicius Jr during February’s Champions League encounter between Benfica and Real Madrid at the Estádio da Luz in Lisbon.

Vinicius Jr reported it as racist abuse to the referee, who triggered UEFA’s anti-racism protocol. The Brazilian’s allegations were supported by teammates within earshot, although Prestianni’s eventual defense was that his slur was homophobic in nature. Still deplorable and discriminatory, it notably carries less of a sanction than racism, which is instead punishable by a minimum 10-match ban.

UEFA accepted that version of events and handed down a surprisingly lenient punishment, a six-match ban, half of which is suspended for two years. The ban initially applied to UEFA matches, one of which Prestianni already served while provisionally suspended.

Crucially, however, UEFA asked FIFA to make it a worldwide ban that would cover competitive internationals. “The FIFA Disciplinary Committee ⁠has decided to extend the six-match ban imposed by ​UEFA on SL Benfica player Gianluca Prestianni to have ​worldwide effect,” a FIFA spokesperson has now confirmed to Reuters. The governing body of world soccer’s decision to do that suddenly makes it a much sterner punishment because of what Prestianni stands to lose as a result.

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Prestianni Faces Consequences of Vinicius Jr Abuse

Prestianni’s conduct could suddenly have much deeper consequences. | Luis Loureiro/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images

The upgrade to a worldwide ban includes competitive international fixtures—not friendlies. It means, should Prestianni be named in Argentina’s final squad, he would have to sit out the first two group matches against Algeria and Austria. Pretournament warmup matches don’t count.

Prestianni has played once for the Argentina national team and was included on a 26-player roster for hastily arranged March internationals against Mauritania and Zambia. He didn’t play in either match.

As a young, fringe player, the 20-year-old is by no means a shoo-in for the final World Cup squad but is clearly in contention. However, rather than going to the tournament and missing two matches, it could become a deciding factor as to whether he is chosen at all.

Prestianni doesn’t have the status to justify taking up a spot while banned, potentially prompting manager Lionel Scaloni to hand that place to someone he can count on as wholly available. Although it initially seemed like he got off light, the player’s behavior has suddenly caught up with him in a big way, especially if this ends up being his only shot at a World Cup in his career.

If Prestianni is not selected for the 2026 World Cup, the remaining two games of his ban will instead be served when UEFA competitions resume next season.

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