Most footballers in Gianluca Prestianni’s position would choose their words carefully. Faced with a UEFA ban, a potential worldwide suspension, and the full weight of two of world football’s biggest superstars ranged against him, the safe play is diplomacy.
Prestianni chose something else entirely.
“Did I admire them as players? No. Admire, no. Admire, I admire Messi. For me, they are top players, but normal players as well.”
— Gianluca Prestianni, said in an interview.
In a few blunt sentences, the 20-year-old Benfica winger drew a line in the sand. Kylian Mbappé and Vinicius Junior are, in Prestianni’s estimation, simply ordinary. Good, yes. Worthy of admiration? Absolutely not.
That honour, he made clear, belongs exclusively to one man: Lionel Messi.
🚨🗣️ Gianluca Prestianni: "Vinicius Junior was telling me: 'come on, come on and play one-on-one against me, coward." He said "Your mother's p*ssy" to me. But no, I didn't say anything at any moment."
• Reporter: "Did you hear Mbappé when he was saying to you "Are you a f*king… pic.twitter.com/Buf47mMT7W
— The Touchline | 𝐓 (@TouchlineX) April 25, 2026
The context that makes this quote even bolder
To understand why this remark carries such weight, you need to remember what Prestianni has been through in the weeks since the February 17 Champions League clash between Benfica and Real Madrid. Vinicius accused him of racial abuse. Mbappé publicly backed that accusation and said Prestianni should be banned from the competition. UEFA launched an immediate investigation.
The outcome was a six-match ban — for homophobic language, not racism — with three of those games suspended on a two-year probationary basis. UEFA has since requested FIFA extend the punishment globally, putting Prestianni’s place at the 2026 World Cup in serious doubt.
Against that backdrop, dismissing both accusers as “normal players” is not a throwaway comment. It is a statement of intent.