In a significant escalation of the ongoing controversy, UEFA has appointed an ethics and disciplinary inspector to investigate the allegations made by Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr. against Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni for racial abuse during their Champions League match on February 17, 2026. The match was halted for over 10 minutes after Vinicius reported the incident to referee Francois Letexier, who activated the anti-racism protocol. Vinicius expressed his outrage, stating, "Racists are, above all, cowards. They need to put their shirts over their mouths to show how weak they are," emphasizing the urgent need for action against racism in football. Benfica has denied the allegations, asserting that there is a "defamation campaign" against Prestianni, who they claim is a "victim" of a smear campaign (BBC World, February 18, 2026).