Vinicius Jr produced a moment of brilliance to hand Real Madrid the advantage in their Champions League playoff first leg encounter against Benfica at the Estadio da Luz.
The Brazilian winger collected possession before driving infield onto his stronger right foot, unleashing a magnificent curling effort that nestled perfectly into the top corner of the net.
It was a strike of the highest quality, the kind of finish that would typically dominate headlines and highlight reels for days to come.
The goal put the Spanish giants 1-0 ahead in Lisbon, seemingly setting the tone for what promised to be a memorable European evening.
Vinicius Jr left the pitch as play was halted for 10 minutes
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Yet what should have been a joyous celebration quickly descended into deeply troubling scenes as the forward walked off the playing surface.
Footage showed Vinicius Jr approaching match official Francois Letexier to lodge a complaint, though the precise nature of his grievance was not immediately apparent.
The French referee implemented established protocols in response to allegations of racial abuse directed at the player.
For approximately ten minutes, the match came to a complete standstill as the Real Madrid star initially refused to continue playing.
Eventually, the Brazilian returned to the field and the contest resumed, though the incident had entirely overshadowed his spectacular strike.
Vinicius Jr was also booked during the incident
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The chaotic scenes also resulted in a coaching staff member being dismissed following a significant confrontation that erupted on the pitch.
Among the Real Madrid contingent, Kylian Mbappe appeared particularly furious about the events that had unfolded.
Vinicius that is 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 🤩💫 pic.twitter.com/ht60WOYgm4
— Prime Video Sport UK (@primevideosport) February 17, 2026
Former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg, providing analysis for Amazon Prime, offered insight into the official's handling of the situation.
"As a referee, I have had this situation before when players have reported a racial comment on the field of play," he explained.
"All he can do is make the report. Afterwards, then UEFA will look into this. As a referee it is very difficult in this situation."
The incident seemed to stem from Vinicius's goal celebration as he danced in front of the Benfica fans, who then threw items at him from the stands.
The Brazilian was booked for antagonising the crowd before the Benfica players went to confront him.
It was during this altercation when Vinicius became extremely furious with what was apparently said by one of the players.
Vinicius Jr went and sat on the bench after the incident and did not return for some time before the match resumed
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Allegedly, Benfica star Gianluca Prestianni said something racially abusive to the 25-year-old while holding his shirt over his mouth.
It took a long conversation from Benfica boss Jose Mourinho to calm the forward down, who eventually did return to the field of play.
Earlier in the contest, Mbappe had two golden chances to break the deadlock but could not find the target.