An irony after the racism earthquake: a stunning leap for the Benfica star, and Vinicius loses 20 million

The numbers back it up. The Argentine winger has scored 7 goals and provided 4 assists in the Portuguese league this season, adding 5 goals and two assists in the Europa League, according to the Spanish newspaper Sport.

His brilliant form with Benfica brought more than goals. Those numbers caught the eye of Lionel Scaloni, who called him into the current Argentina squad for the two friendlies against Uruguay and Costa Rica.

Prestianni had already left his mark in the previous international break, scoring one goal and setting up another against Burkina Faso. Now he wants to nail down his place and prove he can shine against stronger opposition.

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Prestianni's market value has soared by around 240% since the February 2026 incident, a reflection of just how much he has improved at Benfica.

Some Argentine outlets, meanwhile, are talking up the possibility of the Portuguese club cashing in this summer for a figure approaching 100 million euros.

"Record na Hora" reported that Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich could both move for the player given the form he is showing. That makes the 20-year-old one of the names tipped to light up the summer transfer window.

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Vinicius Junior, meanwhile, has slipped gradually over the same period. He finished last season with 22 goals and 14 assists in all competitions, yet the current campaign tells a very different story. Just one goal and three assists in his first eight matches. His expected goals average has dropped from 1.05 to 0.59 per 90 minutes, and his shots on target have fallen from 1.49 to 0.83, according to figures from Opta and Squawka.

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Those numbers lay bare the collapse in Vinicius's attacking output. He has become a constant target of criticism, while Real Madrid have actually improved in his absence during his four-match ban following the red card against Villarreal.

The contrast between the two stars runs deeper than form. It reaches their market value too. Prestianni's value has climbed by roughly 240% since the February 2026 incident. Vinicius Junior's has gone the other way, dropping from 150 million euros to 130 million according to data from "Transfermarkt", a loss of 20 million euros, or 13.3%, in a strikingly divergent path between them.

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