Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappé has publicly backed his Brazilian teammate Vinícius Júnior following the tense scenes that unfolded during Tuesday night’s UEFA Champions League clash against Benfica.
Real Madrid secured a crucial 1-0 away victory at the Estádio da Luz in the first leg of the Champions League play-off, giving the Spanish giants a clear advantage ahead of the return fixture at the Santiago Bernabéu next week.
The controversy erupted shortly after halftime when Vinicius Junior opened the scoring in the 50th minute. The winger surged down the left flank before unleashing a precise strike into the top corner, silencing the home crowd.
As he moved to the corner flag to celebrate, Vinicius danced in front of Benfica supporters, a gesture that appeared to provoke a strong reaction from the stands.
French referee François Letexier responded by showing Vinicius a yellow card for provocation, while several Benfica players confronted the Brazilian on the pitch.
Tensions escalated further when reports suggested that Argentine player Gianluca Prestianni directed a racist remark at Vinicius, prompting the Real Madrid star to alert the referee.
In line with UEFA’s anti-racism protocol, the match was temporarily halted as the situation threatened to spiral. Angry scenes followed in the stands, and Vinicius was seen speaking with Benfica head coach José Mourinho before remaining on the bench as officials worked to calm the atmosphere.
After an interruption of roughly ten minutes, play eventually resumed, with Vinicius returning to the pitch as Real Madrid protected their slender lead until the final whistle.
Following the match, Mbappé took to the social media platform X to express solidarity with his teammate, sending a clear and defiant message.
He wrote: “Dance, Vinny, and please never stop… No one will dictate to us what we should or should not do.”
BAILA @vinijr and please never stop.
They will never tell us what we have to do or not. ✊🏽— Kylian Mbappé (@KMbappe) February 17, 2026
