Rabat – FIFA has officially extended Gianluca Prestianni’s domestic suspension to a worldwide ban following a disciplinary review of his verbal confrontation with Vinicius Júnior.
The governing body’s applied the global extension on Wednesday to the six-match ban UEFA issued recently against Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni for discriminatory behavior during a Champions League clash with Real Madrid.
This means that, if Argentina selects him for the World Cup, Benfica’s winger faces a two-game ban at the start of the global tournament..
UEFA handed down the sanction in late April following an incident during the first leg of the round of 32 on February 17, where Prestianni was seen covering his mouth while speaking to Vinicius.
The Real Madrid star immediately alerted the referee to the abuse, reporting that the Argentinian player had targeted him with a racial slur, calling him a “monkey.”
Acting on a request from UEFA, FIFA confirmed that the global ban was issued in line with Article 70 of its official disciplinary rules.
The 20-year-old still has two games left to serve after already sitting out one match. The final three games of his six-match ban are suspended for the next two years.
The Argentinian player has represented his country only once, in a November 2025 friendly against Angola. And he was an unused substitute during his most recent call-up in March.
If Prestianni misses out on Argentina’s World Cup squad, he will serve his suspension during Benfica’s European campaign next season.
The Portuguese club currently sits in 2nd place in Liga Portugal. Despite remaining undefeated all season, a high number of draws has left them trailing the leaders, FC Porto. They are now fighting to secure a spot in next year’s Champions League.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off on June 11, and will be hosted across Canada, Mexico, and the United States, marking the first time in the tournament’s history to feature 48 host nations.
