The French striker explained what happened after Vinicius' goal , saying: "He scored and went to dance. The fans booed him, which is normal. Then there was a tense moment with the Benfica players, which is also normal because it's the Champions League, and it's normal for everyone to want to win for their fans."
Mbappe added in statements carried by Real Madrid's official website: "Then Benfica's number 25 player, I don't want to mention his name, he doesn't deserve it, started talking badly to him," referring to Argentine winger Gianluca Brestiani.
He continued: "Then (Prestiani) lifted his shirt and said that Vinicius was a monkey 5 times. I heard it. There were players from Benfica who heard it too. And after that moment, everything that happened started."
Mbappe said: "This needs to be explained calmly, and generalizations shouldn't be made. I've visited Portugal many times, and nothing like this has ever happened. In situations like these, it's important to speak clearly. There are people who did nothing wrong. There's no doubt that 70,000 people wanted to support their team. I have the utmost respect for Benfica and their coach, but this player doesn't deserve to play in the Champions League anymore. I think this competition inspires everyone, especially children. If we allow things like this to happen, all the values of football will lose their meaning, and everything we believe in will lose its value. Something has to be done about it."
He continued: "The first thing I would like to say is that we are in the Champions League. We have the best cameras in the world. Look at his face when he saw our reaction. We shouldn't ignore such things. I went with Vinicius because he no longer wanted to play, and as I said in the press conference before the Monaco game, we can't leave him alone in such situations. We must unite and defend our player.
Mbappe explained that he and his teammates also spoke with Benfica officials, but "I can't be angry with them because they didn't hear what happened, and when that happens it's difficult to express an opinion. It would be unfair to say that Benfica's management didn't defend us, but those close to us should have done something. (Benfica's technical director, Jose) Mourinho tried to calm the situation and understand what happened."
The incident occurred moments after Vinicius scored Real Madrid's goal, while referee Francois Letixier halted the match for 11 minutes after activating FIFA's anti-racism protocol .
Television footage showed the Argentine player covering his mouth with his shirt before uttering words that Vinicius and his teammates interpreted as a racist insult to the 25-year-old, who has repeatedly been subjected to racist incidents during matches in Spain.
Real Madrid players threatened to leave the pitch as tensions rose, before the match eventually resumed after an 11-minute stoppage.
The atmosphere became hostile, and Vinicius was subjected to loud boos every time he touched the ball. The broadcast showed Mbappe angrily describing Bristiani as a "racist bastard" several times after the match resumed.
Tensions flared again in the 85th minute when Vinicius fouled Richard Rios, prompting Mourinho to rush towards the fourth official demanding that the Brazilian be given a second yellow card, but he received a warning for his protests.
The angry Mourinho continued to protest, and soon received a second yellow card.
The second leg will be played at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium on Wednesday to determine which team qualifies for the round of 16.
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