From barra brava terror to Madrid threat: The remarkable rise of Benfica's Prestianni
How Benfica's Argentine wonderkid escaped violent ultras in Argentina to become a Champions League star who's already troubled Real Madrid once this season.
A teenage Argentine winger who survived a terrifying encounter with violent ultras is now making waves in Europe, having already given Real Madrid a proper headache in the Champions League earlier this season.
From nightmare to dream
Last July, 17-year-old Gianluca Prestianni experienced the darkest side of football. After his Vélez Sarsfield team lost to relegation rivals Huracán, the club’s barra brava (ultras) ambushed the players’ cars as they left the training ground.
“Me agarraron dos veces del cuello y me pegaron,” Prestianni revealed afterwards - they grabbed him twice by the neck and struck him. The teenager described teammates receiving death threats, with some players too scared to return home.
The incident left Prestianni’s family living in fear. The promising youngster, who’d become Vélez’s youngest-ever professional debutant at just 16 years and 22 days, found himself targeted by the very supporters of the club that raised him.
Benfica rescue and bureaucratic waiting game
Benfica had already agreed a deal with Vélez, but FIFA regulations prevented international transfers of under-18s outside the EU. The Portuguese giants simply had to wait until Prestianni’s 18th birthday on January 31, 2024, when they immediately completed the signing.
In Lisbon, he found himself sharing a dressing room with Argentine World Cup winners Ángel Di María and Nicolás Otamendi. The relationship blossomed to the point where both veterans tattooed the youngster - Di María drawing his trademark heart with the number 11, while Otamendi added a smiley face with its tongue out.
From Messi’s understudy to Madrid’s nightmare
Prestianni’s rapid rise continued with Argentina’s youth teams before earning a senior call-up from Lionel Scaloni. In a poetic moment, the teenager who once watched Messi on television as a child came on as his replacement against Angola.
After initially struggling for minutes under José Mourinho at Benfica, a strong showing at the U20 World Cup (where Argentina reached the final) transformed his fortunes. Upon returning to Portugal, he seized his opportunity when Lukébakio was injured.
Now, Prestianni has become one of Benfica’s danger men, as Real Madrid discovered when he tormented their left flank at the Estádio da Luz. He won a penalty (later overturned by VAR), forced a spectacular save from Courtois, and created a golden chance for Barreiro.
Though Benfica’s winner came from an unlikely source - goalkeeper Trubin scoring a 98th-minute header - Prestianni’s performance was unforgettable. The proof? His phone wallpaper now features an image of himself facing Vinícius Júnior from that very match.
From escaping violence in Argentina to challenging Europe’s elite, Prestianni’s journey has been nothing short of remarkable. And at just 18, his story is only just beginning.