Real Madrid player could face UEFA sanction for unseen moment in Benfica chaos

A Real Madrid star may have left himself open to UEFA sanctions with an action he took during Los Blancos’ 1-0 win over Benfica on Tuesday (17 February).

Vinicius Junior’s stunning second-half strike earned Alvaro Arbeloa’s side an important win against Benfica in Lisbon, securing the La Liga outfit a one-goal advantage ahead of next week’s Champions League play-off second leg at the Santiago Bernabeu.

However, the game was overshadowed by accusations of racism shortly after the Brazilian’s winner.

The 25-year-old was booked for an excessive celebration after dancing around the corner flag before becoming embroiled in an altercation with Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni.

Vinicius then ran towards referee Francois Letexier, who signalled that the anti-racism protocol had come into effect, before the Brazilian and his team-mates walked off the pitch.

After consulting with Benfica’s coaching staff and head coach Jose Mourinho, Real Madrid returned to the pitch following a ten-minute stoppage.

After the match, several Real players spoke out, with Trent Alexander-Arnold describing the incident as a “disgrace to football”, before Vinicius released a statement on Instagram in which he described racists as “cowards”.

UEFA investigations are currently ongoing, while the exact details of what was allegedly said remain unclear at this stage.

If found guilty of the offence, the 20-year-old could face a potential 10-game ban in line with Article 14 of UEFA’s disciplinary regulations (racism and discriminatory conduct). A player can call upon UEFA’s Appeals Body and then the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) if they wish to contest the sanction.

Aside from the incident, another player who featured in the game may also face sanctions.

A clip emerged of Real Madrid midfielder Fede Valverde appearing to punch Benfica’s left-back Samuel Dahl when the pair became involved in a physical tussle.

Valverde punched him in the head there.... Wow very lucky to get off with that pic.twitter.com/gYQlP8RTsU

— TheEuropeanLad (@ThaEuropeanLad) February 17, 2026

Dahl held his head, a foul was given, but no yellow card was shown by the referee.

Some fans have suggested that Valverde could face further punishment.

UEFA has previously already set a precedent in similar cases.

Striking an opponent in the face would be classed as violent conduct, which usually warrants a three to five-match ban.

As per IFAB rules, which UEFA uses during matches, violent conduct is defined as “when a player uses or attempts to use excessive force or brutality against an opponent when not challenging for the ball, or against a team-mate, team official, match official, spectator or any other person, regardless of whether contact is made”.

The rules also state that “a player who, when not challenging for the ball, deliberately strikes an opponent or any other person on the head or face with the hand or arm, is guilty of violent conduct unless the force used was negligible”.