FIFA agreed to extend Gianluca Prestianni’s suspension for a homophobic slur he used towards Vinicius Junior worldwide, putting the Argentina international’s 2026 World Cup in doubt. Cowardly covering his mouth so that no one could definitively prove what was said, Prestianni uttered something despicable towards Vinicius Jr during February’s Champions League encounter between Benfica and Real Madrid at the Estádio da Luz in Lisbon. Vinicius Jr reported it as racist abuse to the referee, who triggered UEFA’s anti-racism protocol . The Brazilian’s allegations were supported by teammates within earshot, although Prestianni’s eventual defense was that his slur was homophobic in nature. Still deplorable and discriminatory, it notably carries less of a sanction than racism, which is instead punishable by a minimum 10-match ban. UEFA accepted that version of events and handed down a surprisingly lenient punishment , a six-match ban, half of which is suspended for two years.…