Prestianni out of the Club World Cup, Benfica have a headache | OneFootball

Gianluca Prestianni was left out of Argentina’s final squad for the 2026 World Cup, a scenario that ends up creating fresh complications for Benfica ahead of the start of next season. The young winger was included in Lionel Scaloni’s preliminary list, but ultimately failed to secure a place among the 26 selected.

The Argentine international’s absence from the World Cup also means that the punishment imposed by UEFA will have to be served while playing for Benfica. Prestianni was suspended for homophobic conduct following an incident involving Vinícius Júnior during the Champions League match against Real Madrid in February.

The Benfica winger received a total six-match suspension, although three of those matches were suspended for a period of two years. FIFA later accepted UEFA’s request to extend the punishment worldwide, allowing the player to serve the suspension matches in either club or national team competitions.

As he was not called up for the World Cup, Prestianni will now have to serve the suspension in European competitions while playing for the Eagles. The Argentine had already missed the second leg against Real Madrid as a precaution, but he will remain unavailable for the first European matches of the 2026/27 season.

As a result, Benfica lose another important option for the Europa League second qualifying round ties, scheduled for 23 and 30 July. The situation further worsens the problems facing the Benfica squad in an early stage of the season already marked by the absence of several players called up for the World Cup.

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