02/25/2026
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Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has called out the use of homophobic slurs and said that they should be treated with the same level of severity as racism.
The football star’s comments come in the wake of a confrontation on the pitch in a Real Madrid-Benfica match in Lisbon last week. Real’s Vinícius Júnior scored a goal and then was approached by Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni, who pulled his jersey up over his mouth as he spoke to Júnior.
Júnior reported the incident to the referee, with his teammate Kylian Mbappé later alleging that he had heard Prestianni use a racial slur multiple times. Prestianni denied the allegations, and UEFA suspended him for one match pending investigation.
📷 Getty