UEFA Ban of Argentina’s Gianluca Prestianni Extends to 2026 FIFA World Cup

FIFA confirmed a global ban Wednesday for Gianluca Prestianni that will rule the Benfica winger out of two World Cup games in the United States if he is selected in Argentina’s squad. UEFA imposed a six-game ban — with three games deferred on probation — on Prestianni two weeks ago for his verbal abuse of Real Madrid’s Brazilian forward Vinicius Junior in the Champions League. Prestianni covered his mouth with his jersey while using the insult. FIFA has now, as expected, fulfilled UEFA’s request to apply the ban beyond European competitions to the World Cup that starts next month. “The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has decided to extend the six-match ban imposed by UEFA on Benfica player Gianluca Prestianni to have worldwide effect,” the soccer body said in a statement. It is unclear if Prestianni is still in Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni’s plans to defend the World Cup title. Argentina starts against Algeria on June 17 in Kansas City and plays Austria five days later in Arlington, Texas. The group also includes World Cup debutant Jordan. [World Cup 2026: Roster Submission Deadlines, Size and More] The 20-year-old winger made his first and only appearance for Argentina in a friendly in November. He was an unused substitute in Argentina’s most recent game, a World Cup warmup against Zambia on March 31. When Scaloni called up Prestianni in March for the warmups, he did not address the ongoing UEFA investigation. Scaloni noted he needed the Benfica player because Paulo Dybala was unavailable. UEFA had investigated Prestianni for a racist insult alleged by Vinícius with support from Madrid teammate Kylian Mbappé. They claimed Prestianni used the Spanish word for “monkey,” which he disguised by raising his red jersey to cover his mouth. UEFA could not prove the racial insult which Prestianni denied, though he admitted using a homophobic slur. Prestianni already served the first game of his ban when UEFA barred him playing against Madrid in the second leg of their Champions League knockout playoff in February. Last week, FIFA’s push to make it a red card offense for World Cup players to cover their mouth when insulting an opponent was passed by soccer’s rulemaking panel known as IFAB. If Prestianni is not selected by Argentina, he will serve the rest of his ban in a UEFA-organized European competition next season. Reporting by The Associated Press.