FIFA president Gianni Infantino has sent a message of support to forward Vinicius Junior following the alleged racial abuse by Gianluca Prestianni during the Champions League match between Real Madrid and Benfica on Tuesday.

The incident occurred when play was about to restart after Vinicius put Madrid ahead in the 50th minute of the match, when the player suddenly sprinted towards the referee while aggressively pointing at Prestianni, prompting a pause of more than 10 minutes.

Several Real Madrid players, including Kylian Mbappé, confirmed that the Benfica player racially abused Vinicius, alleging that he called the Brazil international monkey five times.

In a statement, Mr Infantino, a staunch anti-racism advocate, said he was shocked by the alleged racial abuse directed at Vinicius by Prestianni. He noted that relevant stakeholders must ensure that individuals responsible are held accountable.

“I was shocked and saddened to see the incident of alleged racism towards Vinícius Júnior in the UEFA Champions League match between SL Benfica and Real Madrid CF. There is absolutely no room for racism in our sport and in society – we need all the relevant stakeholders to take action and hold those responsible to account.

“At FIFA, through the Global Stand Against Racism and the Players’ Voice Panel, we are committed to ensuring that players, officials, and fans are respected and protected, and that appropriate action is taken when incidents occur,” Mr Infantino said.

Speaking further, Mr Infantino commended the centre referee in the game, François Letexier, for effectively activating the FIFA anti-racism protocol, which mandates stoppage, suspension, and abandonment of matches depending on the severity of racism incidents inside stadiums.

“I commend referee François Letexier for activating the anti-racism protocol by using the arm gesture to stop the game and address the situation. FIFA and football show full solidarity to victims of racism and any form of discrimination. I will always continue to reiterate: No to racism! No to any form of discrimination,” the football chief stated.

Meanwhile, UEFA have appointed an Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector to investigate allegations of discriminatory behaviour during the match.