Fifa Bans Gianluca Prestianni for Six Matches Worldwide Ahead of 2026

Gianluca Prestianni receives a six-match worldwide ban from Fifa following his abuse of Vinicius Jr, impacting his availability in 2026 competitions.

Gianluca Prestianni's Ban Extended Worldwide Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni will miss Argentina's first two matches of this summer's World Cup if selected, as his ban for abusing Vinicius Jr has been extended worldwide. Prestianni, who has only made one appearance for Argentina, was given a six-match ban by Uefa last month after he admitted using homophobic language towards Real Madrid's Vinicius during their Champions League match in February. He will be banned for two further games, having already served a provisional one-match ban, with the other three suspended for two years. Football's global governing body Fifa has accepted Uefa's request for a worldwide ban. ## Details of the Ban and Prestianni's Past Behavior Prestianni raised his shirt to cover his mouth while speaking to Vinicius, and it has since been confirmed that players could be given a red card if they do this at the World Cup. Prestianni had initially denied accusations of racially abusing Vinicius, which would have faced him a minimum 10-match ban from European competition if he had been found guilty. His ban will be served in next season's Champions League or Europa League, with Benfica still battling for European qualification if he is not selected in Argentina's World Cup squad.