LISBON, Portugal – Real Madrid secured a crucial 1-0 victory over Benfica in the first leg of their Champions League play-off on Tuesday, February 17, 2026. The match, however, was overshadowed by a serious racism accusation involving Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior, which led to an approximately 10-minute stoppage in play. Vinicius Junior scored the game's only goal with a sublime strike, but the celebration sparked heated confrontations and an alleged racist insult from Benfica player Gianluca Prestianni. ^[1][2][3]### Vinicius Junior's Decisive Goal and Unwanted Drama The deadlock broke five minutes into the second half when Vinicius Junior produced a moment of individual brilliance. He received the ball on the left wing, cut inside past a defender, and unleashed a curling right-footed shot into the top corner of the net, leaving Benfica goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin with no chance. T^[1][4][5]he goal gave Real Madrid a vital away advantage in the Champions League play-off. H^[1][2]owever, his subsequent celebration in front of the home crowd at the Estadio da Luz immediately triggered angry reactions from Benfica fans and players. ^[6][7]During the ensuing confrontations, Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni approached Vinicius Junior, reportedly covering his mouth with his jersey as he spoke. V^[2][6]inicius Junior then ran to French referee François Letexier, accusing Prestianni of racially insulting him. Te^[2][6]levision cameras reportedly captured Vinicius Junior telling the referee that Prestianni called him "monkey" ("mono" in Spanish). Re^[2][6][8]feree Letexier immediately activated UEFA's anti-racism protocol, signaling with crossed arms to halt the match. Th^[6][9]e game was paused for roughly 10 to 11 minutes as players and officials discussed the incident. Vi^[2][3]nicius Junior briefly sat in the Real Madrid dugout, and teammates considered leaving the field. #^[1][6]## Team Reactions and Player Performances Real Madrid players quickly rallied around Vinicius Junior. Defender Trent Alexander-Arnold called the incident "a disgrace to football" and "disgusting," stating there is "no place for it in football or society." Mi^[1][6]dfielder Federico Valverde emphasized the seriousness, saying, "If you cover your mouth to say something it's because it's not right. It's lamentable. The insult is very serious and it has happened lots of times to Vinicius." Ky^[2][3]lian Mbappé, who was also visibly upset, reportedly accused Prestianni of being a "bloody racist" and later told reporters he heard Prestianni use the racist remark "five times." Mba^[10][11]ppé advocated for Prestianni to be banned from the Champions League. Des^[10][11]pite the disruption, Real Madrid maintained their lead. Vinicius Junior received an 8/10 or 8.5/10 rating from several outlets for his performance, described as "excellent all night" and "ran at his man relentlessly." Defe^[1][12]nder Dean Huijsen also earned high praise with ratings of 8/10, showing a commanding presence at the back. Midf^[1][2]ielder Aurelien Tchouameni was also rated highly, with one source giving him an 8.5/10 and naming him UEFA's man of the match. Goal^[12]keeper Thibaut Courtois made crucial saves, particularly in the first half, earning ratings of 7/10 or 7.5/10. Kyli^[1][13]an Mbappé had a less impactful night, receiving ratings around 5/10 to 6.5/10 for missing several good chances. ### ^[1][2]Benfica's Response and Broader Context Benfica player Gianluca Prestianni denied making any racist remarks, stating on Instagram, "I want to clarify that at no time did I direct racist insults to Vini Jr, who regrettably misunderstood what he thought he heard." He al^[14][3]so regretted receiving threats from Real Madrid players. Benfi^[14]ca manager Jose Mourinho, a former Real Madrid coach, addressed the incident by questioning Vinicius Junior's celebration. He said Vinicius Junior "incited" players and fans and that a goal like that should be celebrated "in a respectful way." Mouri^[6][14]nho also noted Vinicius Junior is frequently targeted by racist abuse, saying, "There is something wrong because it happens in every stadium. The stadium where Vinicius played something happened. Always." Mouri^[1][14]nho was later sent off in the final stages of the match for vociferous complaints. Pundi^[13][15]ts, including Clarence Seedorf and Wayne Rooney, criticized Mourinho's comments, with Seedorf stating Mourinho "made a big mistake today to justify racial abuse." Real^[14][16] Madrid coach Álvaro Arbeloa expressed firm support for Vinicius Junior. He stated, "We have to be totally intolerant of racism; we cannot allow things like this to happen on the pitch in 2026. I have no reason not to believe Vinicius." Vinici^[8][17]us Junior himself later posted on Instagram, declaring, "Racists are, above all, cowards. They need to put their shirts over their mouths to show how weak they are." He als^[2][12]o criticized the "poorly executed protocol that served no purpose." This i^[14][17]ncident adds to a troubling pattern for Vinicius Junior, who has been repeatedly subjected to racist abuse throughout his career in Spain and Europe. UEFA i^[6][3]s currently reviewing the official reports from the match. The or^[3]ganization has a zero-tolerance approach to racism and a three-step protocol that allows referees to stop, suspend, or even abandon a match in cases of racist incidents. The v^[18][9]ictory gives Real Madrid a slender advantage heading into the second leg at the Santiago Bernabeu next week, but the match will be remembered for the serious allegations of racism that marred the Champions League encounter. META_^[13][15]TITLE: Vinicius Jr Goal, Racism Accusation Mar Real Madrid 1-0 Benfica Win

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