FIFA has officially extended a disciplinary ban to have worldwide effect, which will prevent Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni from participating in the upcoming World Cup if he is called up by Argentina. The global suspension stems from a six-game ban originally imposed by UEFA for a racist incident during a Champions League match.
The original sanction was handed down by UEFA after an investigation into Prestianni's verbal abuse directed at Real Madrid forward Vinícius Júnior. The incident occurred during a European club competition game, where Prestianni was found to have used a racial insult while covering his mouth with his jersey. UEFA's initial ruling included a six-match ban, with three of those games deferred on a probationary period.
Following standard procedure, UEFA requested that FIFA apply the sanction beyond European competitions. FIFA's Disciplinary Committee confirmed the decision on Wednesday, stating it has extended the ban to have worldwide effect. This means the suspension now applies to all football competitions under FIFA's jurisdiction, including the World Cup.
The practical impact for the player is significant. If Argentina's head coach, Lionel Scaloni, includes the 20-year-old in his final squad for the tournament in the United States, Prestianni would be unavailable for the team's first two group-stage matches. Argentina is scheduled to open its campaign against Algeria on June 17 in Kansas City, followed by a match against Austria five days later in Arlington, Texas. Their group also includes Jordan.
It remains uncertain whether Prestianni is still part of Scaloni's plans. The winger has only one senior cap for Argentina, earned in a friendly match last November. He was an unused substitute in Argentina's most recent fixture, a World Cup warm-up against Zambia on March 31. When Scaloni called him up for those March friendlies, he did not comment on the ongoing UEFA investigation, only noting that Paulo Dybala's unavailability necessitated the selection.
The case has drawn attention to the issue of player conduct during matches. UEFA's investigation was supported by testimony from Vinícius Júnior and his teammate Kylian Mbappé. While UEFA could not conclusively prove the specific racial insult Prestianni denied using, the player did admit to using a homophobic slur during the same incident. He had already served the first game of his ban when UEFA barred him from playing in the second leg of Benfica's Champions League knockout playoff against Real Madrid in February.
This development also aligns with a recent rule change approved by the International Football Association Board (IFAB). Last week, IFAB passed a proposal pushed by FIFA to make it a red-card offense for players to cover their mouth while insulting an opponent during World Cup matches. If Prestianni is not selected for Argentina's World Cup squad, he will serve the remainder of his suspension in UEFA-organized European competitions next season.
Based on reporting from Football | The Guardian.
