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FIFA has agreed to extend Gianluca Prestianni's ban globally after he directed a homophobic slur at Vinicius Junior, casting serious doubt over the Argentine's participation in the 2026 World Cup.
Deliberately shielding his mouth to avoid definitive proof of his words, Prestianni said something deeply offensive toward Vinicius Jr during the Champions League clash between Benfica and Real Madrid at Lisbon's Estádio da Luz in February.
Vinicius Jr reported the incident to the referee as racist abuse, triggering UEFA's anti-racism protocol. The Brazilian's claims were backed by nearby teammates, though Prestianni ultimately argued that his comment was homophobic rather than racist. While still reprehensible and discriminatory, this distinction carries a lighter penalty—racism, by contrast, carries a minimum 10-match suspension.
UEFA accepted that account and issued a notably mild six-match ban, with half of it suspended for two years. The ban originally applied only to UEFA competitions, one of which Prestianni had already served while under provisional suspension.
Critically, UEFA requested that FIFA extend the ban to cover competitive international matches worldwide. "The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has decided to extend the six-match ban imposed by UEFA on SL Benfica player Gianluca Prestianni to have worldwide effect," a FIFA spokesperson confirmed to Reuters. The global football body's decision has transformed what appeared to be a lenient punishment into something far more consequential, given what Prestianni now stands to lose.
Prestianni Faces Consequences of Vinicius Jr Abuse
The expanded worldwide ban covers competitive international fixtures—friendlies excluded. Should Prestianni earn a place in Argentina's final squad, he would be forced to miss the team's opening two group stage matches against Algeria and Austria. Pre-tournament warmup games do not count toward the suspension.
Prestianni has earned just one senior cap for Argentina and was included in a 26-man squad for hastily scheduled March friendlies against Mauritania and Zambia, though he did not feature in either game.
As a young player on the fringes of the squad, the 20-year-old is far from guaranteed a spot in the final World Cup roster, though he remains in the conversation. However, rather than attending the tournament only to miss two matches, his suspension could become a decisive factor in whether he is selected at all.
Prestianni lacks the standing to justify occupying a roster spot while unavailable, which could lead coach Lionel Scaloni to opt for a fully available alternative instead. What initially appeared to be a light punishment has now caught up with the player in a significant way—particularly if this turns out to be his only opportunity to appear at a World Cup.
Should Prestianni miss out on the 2026 World Cup squad entirely, the remaining two matches of his suspension will be carried over to UEFA competition when next season begins.