Prestianni Risks Missing First Two World Cup Matches for Argentina After Vinicius Racism Incident
Reports indicate that Argentine player Gianluca Prestianni is at risk of missing his country's first two matches in the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals. This follows a decision by FIFA to extend the scope of a previously issued sanction against him to include all global competitions.
According to "The Athletic," FIFA has decided to comply with a request from UEFA, which had previously banned the Benfica player for six matches due to "discriminatory behavior" described as homophobic, in connection with a racism incident involving Vinicius.
The incident in question occurred during a match between Prestianni's team and Real Madrid, where he was involved in an altercation with Brazilian player Vinicius Junior. Vinicius accused Prestianni of directing racist abuse, an accusation the Argentine player denied via social media.
Under the terms of the sanction, Prestianni was suspended for six matches, three of which were suspended, meaning he would only serve three matches provided he did not repeat the offense within two years. He has already served one match of this ban, leaving him at risk of completing the remainder during upcoming international competitions.
The Argentine player is still eligible to participate with Benfica in the final two matches of the Portuguese League, as well as in Argentina's friendly match against Honduras on June 7. This is because the global application of the sanction is limited to UEFA competitions or official matches under FIFA's supervision.
