European football governing body, UEFA, has handed Benfica midfielder Gianluca Prestianni a six-match ban for discriminatory conduct involving Vinicius Junior of Real Madrid.

The sanction follows an incident between both players during their UEFA Champions League Round of 16 first-leg clash, where Vinicius accused Prestianni of racist abuse after scoring the match’s only goal.

Although Prestianni denied the allegation, UEFA initiated disciplinary proceedings, and he was subsequently charged by its Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body (CEDB) for the use of homophobic language, following an investigation by an Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector.

According to the CEDB, the six-match ban takes immediate effect. However, only three matches will be served immediately, while the remaining three are suspended for a period of two years.

The disciplinary body also confirmed that Prestianni’s earlier one-match provisional suspension, which ruled him out of the second leg, has been included in the sanction, leaving him to serve an additional two matches.

UEFA further stated that the ban will apply to its competitions as well as official national team matches. It has also requested FIFA to extend the suspension worldwide.

If approved, the development could impact Prestianni’s international appearances for Argentina, including potential matches at the 2026 World Cup.

Portuguese club Benfica has acknowledged receipt of UEFA’s decision but has yet to indicate whether it will file an appeal.