After scoring for Real Madrid in the Champions League playoff against Benfica, Vinicius Jr. accused the home side's Gianluca Prestianni of making racist comments. The Brazilian winger's celebration sparked confrontations with Benfica players, leading to a 10-minute delay as the referee implemented FIFA's racism protocol. Vinicius initially refused to continue playing, sitting on the bench as the match was halted.
The incident continued to escalate as a Benfica staff member was shown a red card, and Vinicius was later struck by an object thrown from the crowd. This is not the first time the 25-year-old has faced racism, having been the target of abuse on multiple occasions during his career.