Trent Alexander-Arnold condemns alleged racist abuse against Vinícius Júnior during Real Madrid’s 1-0 Champions League win over Benfica. UEFA investigates

Trent Alexander-Arnold described as “disgusting” the alleged racist abuse aimed at Real Madrid forward Vinícius Júnior during Tuesday’s 1-0 UEFA Champions League first-leg win over Benfica at the Estádio da Luz.

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The match was halted for more than 10 minutes after Vinícius accused Benfica midfielder Gianluca Prestianni of directing racist language toward him shortly after scoring the decisive goal in the 50th minute.

“It’s disgusting. What’s happened tonight is a disgrace for football,” said Alexander-Arnold. “It’s ruined the night for the team.”

Kylian Mbappé called for strict sanctions if the allegation is confirmed. “We cannot accept that a player behaves like this in Europe’s top competition,” he said. “If it’s confirmed, he shouldn’t play in the Champions League again.”

Teammates Aurélien Tchouaméni and captain Federico Valverde confirmed that Vinícius reported the abuse, with Valverde adding: “If you cover your mouth to speak, it’s usually because you know what you’re saying isn’t right. I’m proud of how Vini handled it and how he continued to play.”

Benfica coach José Mourinho denied the accusation and criticized Vinícius for provoking the crowd.

He was later sent off for disputing the referee’s handling of the incident.

The incident highlights ongoing concerns over racism in European football.

Vinícius has faced repeated racial abuse in Spain, including at Valencia and from Atlético Madrid supporters in 2023.

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After the brief suspension under UEFA’s anti-racism protocol, play resumed and Real Madrid secured a valuable 1-0 away victory.