Gianluca Prestianni will miss Argentina's opening two World Cup fixtures in the United States if he is named in the squad, after FIFA confirmed a global extension of his existing ban. The Guardian reported the decision on Wednesday, with FourFourTwo also confirming the ruling.
The ban has its origins in a Champions League incident in which Prestianni directed racial abuse at Real Madrid forward Vinícius Júnior, covering his mouth with his kit as he used the slur. UEFA imposed a six-match ban — three of them suspended — and FIFA has since extended that sanction to take worldwide effect, meaning it will apply across international competition.
Prestianni plays his club football for Benfica and has so far earned one senior Argentina cap, according to the Guardian, awarded in November. His place in the World Cup squad is not confirmed; the ban only activates if he is selected. But should Argentina's coaching staff include him, he would be unavailable for the side's first two matches of the tournament.
The case sits within a broader pattern of ongoing scrutiny of racist abuse directed at Vinícius Júnior. The Brazilian forward has been the subject of repeated incidents in recent seasons, and governing bodies across Europe and beyond have faced sustained pressure to impose consistent and meaningful sanctions. FIFA's decision to extend UEFA's ruling globally is notable precisely because it removes any jurisdictional gap that might otherwise have left the ban confined to European club competition.
Argentina are among the leading contenders at next summer's World Cup, and the timing of a two-match suspension at the start of the tournament carries obvious significance for squad selection. Whether Prestianni features in the final group at all remains to be seen — that decision rests with the Argentina management ahead of the tournament. FIFA has not indicated any further action beyond the extension already confirmed.