Vinícius Júnior's Racial Abuse Incident in Champions League Highlights Ongoing Football Racism Challenges
Vinícius Júnior's racial abuse during a Champions League match against Benfica spotlights ongoing racism in football across Europe and Brazil, prompting investigations and calls for stronger punishments.
- • Vinícius Júnior was racially abused during a Benfica vs. Real Madrid match, prompting a 10-minute pause and UEFA investigation.
- • He has faced repeated racial abuse in Spanish football since 2022, including chants and public insults.
- • Legal precedents were set with convictions of individuals for racist insults during matches in Spain.
- • Racism in football is widespread globally, affecting clubs and countries including Portugal, Spain, Argentina, Brazil, Benfica, Real Madrid, Flamengo, and Palmeiras.
Key details
During the Champions League match between Benfica and Real Madrid, Brazilian football star Vinícius Júnior experienced a disturbing episode of racial abuse that reignited international concern over racism in football. After scoring the winning goal, Vinícius reported that midfielder Gianluca Prestianni had called him a "monkey" during the game. This prompted referee François Letexier to pause the match for ten minutes as part of UEFA's anti-racism protocol, and an Ethics and Discipline inspector was appointed to investigate the event. Real Madrid ultimately claimed a 1-0 victory in this game.
Vinícius has faced persistent racial abuse in Spain since September 2022, ranging from racist chants in stadiums to personal attacks such as when a doll resembling him was found hanging from a bridge in Madrid in January 2023. Legal action against perpetrators of such abuses has led to significant penalties, including fines and stadium bans. In May 2023, after a match against Valencia marked by monkey sounds from fans, Vinícius identified offenders that led to the match's interruption and his own expulsion. The cases have been serious enough to attract the attention of Spanish prosecutors treating these incidents as hate crimes.
The Brazilian footballer’s experiences are part of a wider problem affecting Brazilian and international football, with racism present across countries like Portugal, Spain, Argentina, and Brazil. Clubs with large fan bases, including Benfica, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Flamengo, and Palmeiras, have all seen racist incidents. Analysts emphasize that racism in football isn’t confined to any single club or nationality but remains a pervasive issue demanding stronger punitive measures.
Vinícius himself has expressed frustration and a waning desire to continue playing amid repeated racial vilification, calling attention to the emotional toll such discrimination exacts. The Real Madrid club has taken internal actions, including against a minor who racially abused Vinícius, underscoring efforts to combat racism beyond public legal interventions.
As UEFA's investigation into the latest incident continues in 2026, calls for harsher penalties and comprehensive policies against racism in football are growing emphasizing the urgent need for the sport to eradicate discriminatory behavior that mars the beautiful game.
This article was translated and synthesized from Brazilian sources, providing English-speaking readers with local perspectives.
