Gianluca Prestianni's problems just got bigger. FIFA has confirmed it will enforce the 20-year-old's UEFA suspension on the global stage, meaning he'd miss Argentina's opening two World Cup matches if he makes the squad this summer.
The ban stems from a February Champions League match in which Real Madrid's Vinícius Júnior alleged Prestianni directed a racist slur at him. UEFA handed out a six-game suspension. Prestianni denied using a racist slur — his reported defence was that the language was homophobic, not racial. A distinction that didn't move UEFA, and hasn't moved FIFA either.
What this means for Argentina's group stage
The reigning world champions open on June 16 against Algeria, then face Austria and Jordan to close out the group. Prestianni would sit out the first two. That's potentially two of the easier matches in their bracket — the exact games where a squad player on the fringes might actually expect minutes.
Prestianni has one senior cap for La Albiceleste. He's not a lock for the final roster, which FIFA officially announces June 2. But his inclusion was already a conversation — now it comes with a cost attached. Scaloni will have to weigh whether bringing a suspended winger takes the place of someone who can actually play from kick-off.
If he's left out entirely, the suspension rolls over into UEFA competition next season. Either way, it doesn't disappear.
The wider fallout
The incident had consequences beyond one player's calendar. The International Football Association Board used this case — and others like it — to approve a rule allowing referees to issue red cards to players who cover their mouths during on-pitch confrontations. That comes into effect at the 2026 World Cup itself.
Prestianni is still eligible for Benfica's final two league games and Argentina's June 7 friendly against Honduras. The ruling only bites in UEFA competitions and competitive FIFA matches. So he'll play — just not when it counts most.
Argentina's group-stage odds won't shift dramatically over one winger. But squad depth decisions made on the margins can unravel quickly at tournaments, and carrying a player who's banned for 40% of your group stage is a peculiar luxury to extend to someone with a single senior appearance.
