Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr has experienced his 20th alleged racist abuse incident during eight years at the club after a Champions League play-off match at Benfica was stopped for 10 minutes on Tuesday following accusations against an Argentine midfielder.
Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni allegedly racially abused the Brazilian international minutes after Vinicius scored what Spanish football expert Guillem Balague described as a “masterpiece” goal at the Estadio da Luz in Lisbon. Prestianni denies the allegation.
Kylian Mbappe told media he heard a racist term used five times during the incident, strongly backing his teammate alongside other Real Madrid players. The match was paused under anti-discrimination protocols before resuming.
Benfica manager Jose Mourinho effectively blamed Vinicius for provoking the situation, telling Amazon Prime Video Sport: “These talents are able to do these beautiful things, but unfortunately was not just happy to score that astonishing goal. When you score a goal like that, you celebrate in a respectful way.”
Mourinho then claimed Benfica couldn’t possibly be racist because its greatest-ever player Eusebio was Black, comments Balague described as marking “a new low” in media debate around the incidents.
The latest allegation represents the 20th time Vinicius has faced abuse during his Real Madrid career. A chronology of previous incidents reveals a pattern of abuse met with limited consequences for perpetrators across multiple Spanish venues.
In October 2021 during a Clasico at Camp Nou, a fan shouted racist abuse at Vinicius whilst he was being substituted. The case was closed because police were unable to identify the perpetrator.
Mallorca fans made monkey noises towards him in March 2022 and told him to “go pick bananas”. Authorities called it “outrageous” and “despicable” but not “criminally significant”. No action was taken.
Pedro Bravo, head of the Spanish Football Agents’ Association, suggested on El Chiringuito that Vinicius should “stop acting like a monkey”. He later apologized claiming he had “badly used the expression… in a metaphorical way to mean ‘fooling around'”. The comment caused outrage in Brazil but no further action was taken.
Atletico Madrid fans chanted racist abuse outside their stadium in September 2022. Prosecutors did not file charges.
A doll wearing Vinicius’ jersey was hung from a bridge in January 2023. Four members of supporters’ group Frente Atletico received prison terms of 14 to 22 months, later commuted to fines and restraining orders.
The turning point occurred in Valencia at Mestalla in May 2023 when Vinicius confronted stands after being insulted. He was later sent off in extra time after an argument with goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili and punching Hugo Duro.
Three fans received eight months in prison and two-year stadium bans in June 2024 for their part in the abuse. It was Spain’s first sentence of its kind.
When Vinicius returned to Mestalla in March 2024 he was met with boos. His response was two goals celebrated with a raised fist.
Eleven days later, racist abuse towards him was chanted before a Champions League match between Atletico Madrid and Inter. Real Madrid reported the incident to the hate crimes prosecutor’s office.
Five days after that at Osasuna’s ground, shouts of “Vinicius die” were heard.
In September 2024, four people were arrested for inciting a hate campaign on social media to insult the player during a derby against Atletico Madrid.
Last month during Alvaro Arbeloa’s debut as Real manager against Albacete in Copa del Rey, fans hurled racist insults at the Brazilian. La Liga strongly condemned the incident.
In his Copa del Rey semi-final against Real Sociedad this February, referee Jose Maria Sanchez Martinez paused the match through Spain’s anti-hate protocol due to chants against another player, though cameras captured a fan making monkey gestures towards Vinicius during the stoppage.
Vinicius addressed his approach in June 2024 after Valencia racists received jail terms: “Many people asked me to ignore it, others said that my fight was in vain and that I should just ‘play football’. But, as I’ve always said, I’m not a victim of racism. I am an executioner of racists. This first criminal conviction in Spanish history is not for me. It’s for all black people.”
Spanish and Portuguese media debate continues to suggest Vinicius should “behave better” and limit himself to “playing and keeping quiet”, with his confrontations with stands interpreted as arrogant and inappropriate.
La Liga has worked to ensure racist actions do not remain unpunished within a judicial culture that long treated football’s language and banter with indulgence. The organisation strongly condemned the recent Albacete incident, reaffirming support for the player.
UEFA will investigate the Benfica incident under its disciplinary procedures for alleged discriminatory conduct. The outcome will determine whether sanctions are imposed on Benfica or individuals involved.
