Argentine Winger Prestianni to Miss First Two World Cup Games Due to FIFA Ban

Lisbon. Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni will miss the first two games of the upcoming World Cup after being selected for the Argentine team.

This setback comes after the world football governing body FIFA decided to globally enforce the ban imposed by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) on charges of using derogatory language against Real Madrid star player Vinicius Junior.

20-year-old Prestianni admitted to using derogatory language targeting the gay community during a Champions League match last February, following which UEFA imposed a six-game ban on him last month. He has already served one game of a provisional ban, while the remaining three games of the ban have been suspended for two years. Thus, he will have to serve two more games of the ban, which FIFA has brought under its global scope.

Prestianni has played only one match for the Argentine national team so far. He made his debut in a friendly match against Angola in November 2025. Coach Lionel Scaloni had also called him to the squad for the friendly matches held last March, but he did not get a chance to play.

Earlier, Vinicius had accused Prestianni of racial abuse, which Prestianni had been denying. If he had been found guilty of racist behavior, he would have faced a minimum of 10 games ban in European competitions.

If he is not selected for the Argentine team for this World Cup, he will have to serve this ban in the matches of the Champions League or Europa League of the upcoming season. Currently, his club Benfica is struggling to qualify for European competitions.

During the dispute with Vinicius, Prestianni spoke with his jersey covering his mouth. Keeping this incident in mind, FIFA has already clarified the rule that any player speaking with their mouth covered in the upcoming World Cup could be given a red card.