Golazo, “Mono”, and Vinicius Junior's Anti-Racism Battle

LISBON, WEDNESDAY – Vinicius Junior, a name that deserves to be remembered by Real Madrid. Apart from his impressive performance on the field, Vinicius is a symbol of the struggle to free football from racism. At the Da Luz Stadium in Lisbon, Portugal, Wednesday (18/2/2026 WIB), the heart of the Brazilian national team star was filled with both joy and sorrow.

As the modern world has entered the 21st century, discrimination based on skin color still persists in football. Vinicius is a regular victim as well as a leading advocate for eradicating racism from the green field.

He experienced it at the Da Luz Stadium after scoring a beautiful goal, aka golazo, against Benfica in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 playoffs.

"What happened to me is nothing new. I don't like things like this. With this big win, Real Madrid should be the headlines," Vinicius said, as reported by Sport.

A curved right-footed kick from the right corner of the home team's penalty box sent the ball into the upper corner of Benfica's goal. The moment, which occurred in the 50th minute, secured Real's victory.

"Los Blancos" finally managed to secure a victory at Benfica's home ground after two previous visits ended in defeat, including the final match of the group stage last January.

However, the goal did not merely relieve the pressure for the Real camp. Vinicius' stunning goal instead opened up issues in European football, one of which is Portugal, that remain unresolved.

Vinicius's goal celebration, dancing in the corner of the field, stirred the emotions of the players and supporters of Benfica. The French referee, Francois Letexier, immediately pulled out the first yellow card from his pocket for Vinicius.

"I got a yellow card after celebrating a goal. I still don't understand why I got that penalty," said Vinicius.

The punishment from the referee was not enough to ease the tension; Benfica's winger, Gianluca Prestianni, approached Vinicius. Covering his mouth with his jersey, the Argentine player referred to Vinicius as "mono," meaning monkey, just moments before the Benfica players were supposed to restart the match after the goal.

This situation prompted Vinicius to run towards Letexier to report the act of racism committed by Prestianni. However, there was no response from Letexier, leading Vinicius to choose to leave the field and sit in the guest team's bench area.

Real coach Alvaro Arbeloa and several of his colleagues, such as Aurelien Tchouameni and Antonio Ruediger, attempted to persuade Vinicius not to leave the field. Benfica coach Jose Mourinho also joined in urging Vinicius to return to play.

After the match was stopped for almost 10 minutes, Vinicius finally agreed to continue, allowing the match to restart.

When you score a goal (like Vinicius), it lifts a weight off your teammates' shoulders. It ends the game.

Real Madrid striker Kylian Mbappé defended his friend. In a video clip uploaded by Movistar+, Mbappé told Prestianni during the next moment of the match, "We are racists!" He repeated the phrase 10 times.

"Vini told us that the guy (Prestianni) called him a monkey. Then, Vini asked us to keep playing. I don't know what to say now, but this kind of thing can't happen again," Tchouameni told Movistar+ after the final whistle.

In the period from 2021 to 2026, Vinicius has experienced incidents of racism, both on and off the field, more than 10 times. This refers to a report from La Liga, the operator of the Spanish League competition, to the prosecutor regarding the racism cases directed at Vinicius.

The word "mono" is what led to three Valencia supporters being sentenced to eight months in prison and a two-year stadium ban in June 2024.

They insulted Vinicius during the match between Valencia and Real at the Mestalla Stadium in May 2023. The verdict is the first criminal sentence in Spain for a case of racism in football.

In addition to the goal, Vinicius was also involved in two other incidents at Da Luz. His foul on Benfica's substitute midfielder, Richard Rios, in the 74th minute led to Mourinho receiving a red card.

A foul in front of the penalty box prompted Mourinho to approach the fourth official at the side of the field. He gestured with two fingers while shouting, "You know," towards Letexier. Mourinho requested the referee to issue a second yellow card to Vinicius for the foul.

Mourinho acknowledged that his strong protest could have been detrimental to him. However, he deemed the incident worthy of a yellow card.

"They dismissed me because I stated something that clearly happened. I have 1,400 matches sitting on the bench of the team, so I know how the rules work," said Mourinho after the match.

He further stated that he had spoken with Vinicius and Prestianni. Mourinho said the two players had different opinions.

"I do not want to say which one is right. One thing is when you score a goal (like Vinicius), it lifts the burden off your teammates' shoulders. That goal ends the match," added Mourinho, who has previously delivered three trophies for Real.

As the match was nearing its end, it was the supporters' turn to attack Vinicius. In a situation where he was about to take a corner kick in the 90+12 minute, a plastic water bottle flew from the stands and hit Vinicius's arm.

Two to three additional plastic bottles filled with water followed after that. Vinicius and Trent Alexander-Arnold delayed taking the corner kick. When the throwing had stopped, Letexier only then asked the duo of Real players to continue the match.

Federico Valverde, midfielder and captain of Real, has called for action regarding the incidents involving Vinicius from players and supporters of Benfica. According to him, it is the duty of Real players to protect Vinicius from the recurring incidents of racism.

"The taunts were very serious. It happened many times. I doubt there were any cameras around," Valverde said, as reported by Marca. (AFP/AP)