What happened to Prestianni after the Vinícius Júnior row? Find out | OneFootball

A few months ago, Gianluca Prestianni was at the center of one of the biggest controversies in European football. Today, the Argentine is one of Benfica’s standout players, piling up goals and assists and ranking among the most highly valued young footballers in the world.

At 20 years old, the forward seems to have found the best possible response: playing football. There are moments that can define a career. For Gianluca Prestianni, 2026 seemed to be heading exactly that way, but for the worst possible reason.

In February, for example, the Argentine was involved in an incident with Vinícius Júnior during Benfica vs. Real Madrid in the Champions League. The Brazilian accused Prestianni of a racist insult, the match was stopped for around 11 minutes, and the case made headlines around the world.

UEFA did not classify the incident as racism. Prestianni received a six-match suspension for discriminatory conduct of a homophobic nature, three of them suspended. FIFA extended the punishment to international national team competitions, with a direct impact on his career.

The episode that changed everything

The suspension ended up affecting precisely the dream any 20-year-old Argentine player would want to live: the World Cup. If he had been called up by Lionel Scaloni, Prestianni would have had to serve the suspension in Argentina’s first two matches of the tournament.

The suspension, combined with his limited role in the Argentine national team, weighed heavily in his absence from the World Cup. He ended up missing the tournament and saw his path interrupted just as he was being regarded as one of the top prospects of his generation. From that point on, he had to rebuild his path.

The response came on the pitch

Prestianni did not respond with endless interviews. He responded by playing. The 2026/27 season began with a completely different version of the forward. More aggressive, more involved, and far more decisive, the Argentine began to feature constantly in Benfica’s attacking moves.

In 10 matches this season, he already has eight goals and two assists. In his last five games, between the Primeira Liga and Europa League qualifiers, the forward recorded five goals and one assist, showing just how important he is for coach Marco Silva.

It is exactly the kind of response football allows. Benfica’s fans supported the youngster when he needed it most and, now, that support has been repaid with goals, brilliant plays, assists, and decisive numbers.

From prospect to leading man

Prestianni arrived at Benfica while still a teenager, after breaking through at Vélez Sarsfield at a very young age. He made his professional debut at 16 and was sold to the Portuguese club for around €9 million, plus another €2 million in bonuses.

At the start of his time in Portugal, however, his development did not happen at the expected pace. Last season, he made 41 appearances but scored only three goals for Benfica. The Argentine was still searching for space and consistency.

Now, the story is different. Prestianni seems to have regained both his place and his confidence to play in line with the talent that made him one of Argentina’s top prospects. The forward could also return to the Argentine national team radar, now without the legendary Lionel Messi.

CIES has its eyes on him too

The recognition goes beyond Benfica supporters. Prestianni has already appeared in CIES Football Observatory studies among the most highly valued young players in the world. In an earlier survey, the Argentine was valued at €14.4 million among the most valuable Under-21 players.

More recently, other studies tracking the performance and potential of young players have also placed him among the standout names of the new generation. That helps explain why Benfica continues to treat Prestianni as an important asset for the future.

The best possible response

The case involving Vini Jr will hardly ever be erased from Prestianni’s career. It was a serious situation, it had sporting consequences, and it kept him out of the World Cup. But the Argentine is managing to do something that is not always simple in football: not allowing one episode to define who he is as a player.

At 20 years old, Prestianni still has time to build his story. At this moment, though, the best version of it is beginning to be written on the pitch at the Estádio da Luz. After a difficult period, the Argentine is trying to establish himself through the football he is showing, with goals, assists, and talent.

*André Freixo, special correspondent for RTI Esporte Agency, reporting directly from Portugal

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.