FIFA has confirmed that it has extended the ban handed to Gianluca Prestianni following a request from UEFA, as reported by sportbible.com. The global governing body announced on Wednesday that the sanction will rule the Benfica winger out of two World Cup matches should he be selected for Argentina's squad.
The decision comes two weeks after UEFA imposed a six-game ban on Prestianni, three of which were deferred on probation, for verbally abusing Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior during a Champions League fixture. Prestianni covered his mouth with his jersey while using an insult that Vinicius alleged was racist, a claim the Benfica player has denied.
UEFA subsequently submitted a request to apply the ban beyond European competitions, which FIFA obliged by extending it to the World Cup. A FIFA statement read: "The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has decided to extend the six-match ban imposed by UEFA on Benfica player Gianluca Prestianni to have worldwide effect."
It remains to be seen whether Prestianni will be selected by Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni as he prepares a squad to defend the World Cup title. If included, the winger will be unavailable for Argentina's opening match against Algeria on June 17 in Kansas City, as well as the meeting with Austria five days later in Arlington, Texas. However, he will be eligible to return for the final group game against World Cup debutant Jordan on June 28, again in Arlington.
The extension means Prestianni's ban now applies to all international competitions, including the World Cup, ensuring consistency across football's governing bodies. The incident has sparked debate about racism in football and the effectiveness of disciplinary measures across different tournaments.
