UEFA has announced the opening of an official investigation into the incident of racism faced by Brazilian star Vinicius during the match between Real Madrid and Benfica in the first leg of the playoff qualifying for the UEFA Champions League round of 16.

UEFA stated in an official announcement: "The official reports of the matches held last night are currently being reviewed."

He added: "In the event of any violations being reported, procedures are initiated, and if they result in disciplinary sanctions, they are announced on the UEFA disciplinary website."

He concluded: "We have no additional information or further comments regarding this matter at this stage."

The match witnessed significant controversy when Benfica player Bristiani put his shirt over his mouth and repeated the word "monkey, monkey" in front of Vinicius, who then approached the referee to report the incident. The referee, François Letexier, decided to stop the match, which was resumed after about 10 minutes.

These events occurred following the goal scored by Vinicius in the 50th minute, after which he celebrated in front of Benfica's fans, leading to tensions escalating between the players of both teams.