Soccer Football – UEFA Champions League – Play Off – First Leg – Benfica v Real Madrid – Estadio da Luz, Lisbon, Portugal – February 17, 2026 Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior looks on from the side of the pitch as the match was stopped due to racist chants REUTERS/Rodrigo Antunes
MADRID, Feb 17 : Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr scored a superb second-half goal to secure a 1-0 victory at Benfica in their Champions League playoff first leg on Tuesday in a match overshadowed by an alleged racist incident that led to an 11-minute stoppage.
After a tight first half, Real broke through five minutes after halftime. Mbappe led a counter-attack and fed Vinicius, who cut inside and curled a fine shot into the far corner.
As Vinicius celebrated, a heated exchange with Benfica forward Gianluca Prestianni prompted referee Francois Letexier to activate FIFA’s anti-racism protocol. Real’s players briefly threatened to leave the pitch before play resumed.
Benfica pressed late on but managed only three shots on target in the match. Their manager Jose Mourinho was sent off in the 85th minute after two bookings as Real claimed a narrow advantage for next Wednesday’s return leg at the Bernabeu.
