Real Madrid's Champions League encounter with Benfica was halted for approximately 10 minutes in the second half due to an incident of alleged racist abuse directed at Vinicius Junior. The incident occurred after Vinicius Jr. scored in the 50th minute, celebrated in front of Benfica fans, and was targeted by objects thrown from the Portuguese crowd. The forward was booked by the referee following his celebration and had exchanges with several Benfica players, including Gianluca Prestianni, who covered his mouth with his shirt. Other Madrid players were also involved as the two sides clashed. During this period, Vinicius Jr. ran back to the referee and pointed at Prestianni, who appeared to invoke FIFA's 'No Racism Gesture' by crossing his arms in an X shape above his head. Kylian Mbappe, who allegedly heard Prestianni make racist remarks, said, 'something has to be done' and 'what happened today is more important than football.' The game resumed after a 10-minute delay, with Vinicius Jr. booed by the home fans when he touched the ball. Later in the half, Federico Valverde also appeared to mimic a monkey gesture to the referee, indicating racial abuse. Further objects were thrown towards Vinicius Jr. and Trent Alexander-Arnold from the same section of the crowd in the final minutes of the game, causing more delays. FIFA's 'No Racism Gesture' is a global crossed-arms gesture to signal racist abuse, designed to empower players, team officials, and referees to take a stand against racism. It was used by referee Ramon Abatti during the Club World Cup match between Madrid and Pachuca last summer. UEFA has its own racism reporting initiative and a three-step protocol for stopping matches after alleged incidents. Players and coaches reacted strongly, with Vinicius Jr. saying, 'Racists are, above all, cowards.' He has been the subject of racist abuse several times in his career, including instances in Spain's La Liga and a recent incident where a banana was thrown at him during a Copa del Rey match. The referee will submit a report, and UEFA's Control, Ethics, and Disciplinary Body will determine whether an investigation will be opened. If found guilty, the player must be suspended for a minimum of ten matches, and the club must run awareness programs.
