Argentina star banned from World Cup opener by FIFA

The World Cup is just a month away, but one Argentina player will not be involved in the opening fixtures.

Argentina go into the tournament looking to defend their crown as world champions, with Lionel Messi looking to potentially finish off his international career in style.

Thankfully, there is a new wave of talent coming through for Argentina, but we won't see one young star for the first two games of the 2026 World Cup.

Argentina star Gianluca Prestianni's ban extended to global competition

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20-year-old winger Gianluca Prestianni was the subject of heated controversy back in February when he was involved in an incident for Benfica against Real Madrid.

Prestianni was accused of racially abusing Vinicius Jr. before it was later revealed he had directed a homophobic slur in the direction of the Brazilian.

Prestianni's initial one-match ban was later raised to a six-match ban after further investigation into the matter.

It was originally thought Prestianni would only be banned at club level, but demands were made for the youngster's ban to apply worldwide.

Now, as per Sky News reporter Rob Harris, FIFA have indeed extended the suspension to apply to all levels of football.

That means he will not only miss Benfica's final two matches this season, but will also be unavailable for selection in the first two games at the World Cup this summer, casting doubt on his Finals selection.

Prestianni will not feature against Algeria on June 17 or against Austria five days later.

FIFA recently took steps to avoid any repeat of the Prestianni-Vinicius Jr. incident, by approving IFAB's proposal for red cards to be given to players who cover their mouth when confronting an opponent.

The final decision will be at the discretion of the referee at the time, but officials are advised to consider sending players off who are guilty of the offence at this summer's tournament.

Gianluca Prestianni has one Argentina cap to his name and is currently valued at €12m, as per Transfermarkt.