Real Madrid’s Vinicius to have alleged racist abuse investigated by UEFA

Al JazeeraCenterEN 2 min read 100% complete by By AFPFebruary 18, 2026 at 05:19 PM

AI Summary

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UEFA is investigating allegations of racist abuse made by Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior against Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni during a Champions League match in Lisbon on Tuesday, February 18, 2026. The match was temporarily halted after Vinicius complained to the referee that Prestianni called him "mono," the Spanish word for monkey, following a confrontation. Prestianni denies the accusation. The incident occurred after Vinicius scored the winning goal in the match. Several Real Madrid players, including Trent Alexander-Arnold and Kylian Mbappe, have condemned the alleged abuse and called for action against Prestianni. UEFA confirmed the investigation on Wednesday.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

United Kingdom 30% Brazil 30% Francois Letexier 35% Trent Alexander-Arnold 35% Lisbon 40% Kylian Mbappe 40% Champions League ×260% Benfica ×265% Real Madrid ×475% Gianluca Prestianni ×780% UEFA ×385% Vinicius Junior ×790%

Keywords

racist abuse 100% uefa 90% champions league 80% vinicius junior 80% gianluca prestianni 70% real madrid 60% investigation 60% discriminatory behaviour 50% benfica 50% football 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Very Negative

Score: -0.60

Source Transparency

Source

Al Jazeera

Political Lean

Center (0.00)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

Lisbon

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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racist abuse uefa champions league vinicius junior gianluca prestianni real madrid investigation discriminatory behaviour benfica football

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