In the 50th minute, Vinicius Junior opened the scoring, curling a shot from the left side of the box into the top corner from long range. Immediately after, the brazil forward celebrated the goal by dancing by the corner flag, while the da luz stands were met with whistles and boos. He was also cautioned by french referee Francois Letexier, who issued a yellow card, deeming the celebration provocative towards the home crowd.

Upon returning to the center circle with his teammates, Vinicius appeared angry after an exchange with argentine winger Gianluca Prestianni. Television footage showed Prestianni covering his mouth while speaking to Vinicius. The real madrid forward immediately ran to the referee to report being insulted.

Coach Jose Mourinho speaks with Vinicius during the halted champions league playoff first leg match between Benfica and Real Madrid at da luz stadium in lisbon, portugal on the evening of 17/2. Photo: Reuters

According to spanish newspaper Marca, Vinicius accused Prestianni of calling him "mono" ("monkey" in spanish). Referee Letexier then formed an X with his arms, signaling the activation of UEFA's anti-racism protocol. The match was also temporarily suspended.

The atmosphere on the field quickly became chaotic. Many players from both teams rushed into arguments. Center-backs Antonio Rudiger and Arda Guler attempted to pull Vinicius away from the heated situation. Kylian Mbappe appeared furious and had to be restrained by teammates when he tried to confront Nicolas Otamendi.

As tensions escalated, one member of the Benfica coaching staff received a red card, though the reason was unclear. On the sidelines, coach Jose Mourinho approached Vinicius directly to calm him down.

In the 57th minute, Vinicius left the field and sat on the bench during the match interruption.

Coach Alvaro Arbeloa comes onto the field to encourage Vinicius. Photo: AP

Former premier league referee Mark Clattenburg, commenting on TNT Sports, explained that the referee is obliged to follow the correct protocol upon receiving a report of racist behavior. After a player reports, the referee's duty is to document the incident, with UEFA conducting the investigation after the match.

Former forward Alan Shearer was unsure of the exact exchange between Vinicius and Prestianni but acknowledged the tense atmosphere. "This situation has overshadowed a quality goal and the match's sporting highlights," Shearer said.

After about 10 minutes of interruption, the match resumed in the 60th minute. In the stands, the crowd reacted fiercely every time Vinicius or Mbappe touched the ball. When Prestianni left the field, making way for Dodi Lukebakio, he received applause from the home supporters.

This is not the first time Vinicius has been at the center of similar incidents. In 5/2023, after a la liga match, three Valencia supporters were sentenced to eight months in prison and banned from stadiums for two years due to racist insults directed at him. Those were the first criminal sentences in spain related to racial abuse of a football player.

At the time, Vinicius considered himself a prosecutor against racists and thanked la liga and real madrid for their support during the legal process.

The match on the evening of 17/2 concluded with a 1-0 victory for visiting Real Madrid. Vinicius and his teammates hold a significant advantage for advancing to the round of 16, as they will play at their home stadium, bernabeu, in the second leg one week from now.