UEFA has officially announced the opening of an investigation into the racist incident involving Brazilian star Vinícius Júnior during the match between Real Madrid and SL Benfica in the first leg of the playoff round for a place in the Round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League.

In an official statement, UEFA confirmed that match reports from last night’s fixtures are currently under review. The governing body added that if any violations are confirmed, disciplinary proceedings will be opened, and any sanctions imposed will be published on its official disciplinary website.

UEFA also stated that it has no further information or comments at this stage while the review process is ongoing.

The controversy erupted after a Benfica player allegedly made racist gestures and chants directed at Vinícius, prompting the Brazilian forward to inform the referee. As a result, referee François Letexier temporarily suspended the match, which resumed approximately ten minutes later.

The incident occurred shortly after Vinícius scored in the 50th minute and celebrated in front of the Benfica supporters, leading to heightened tensions between the players on the pitch.