World Cup players who cover their mouths during confrontations could get red cards
FIFA has introduced a new rule for the 2026 World Cup that allows referees to issue red cards to players who cover their mouths during confrontations with opponents. The decision will be at the discretion of the on-field official based on the circumstances. The rule change follows an incident involving Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni, who had his mouth covered during an altercation accused of involving discriminatory language.
- ▪FIFA referees can now give red cards if a player covers their mouth during a confrontation.
- ▪The rule was influenced by an incident involving Gianluca Prestianni, who was banned for six matches after admitting to making homophobic comments.
- ▪FIFA President Gianni Infantino stated there should be a presumption that a player covering their mouth said something inappropriate.
- ▪Officials will have discretion to determine whether the action warrants a red card based on context.
- ▪The new rule aims to deter players from using obscured speech to make discriminatory remarks during matches.
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OutKick World Cup players who cover their mouths during confrontations could get red cards Officials will have discretion to decide whether to issue the card based on the circumstances By Matt Reigle OutKick Published April 28, 2026 7:19pm EDT Facebook Twitter Threads Flipboard Comments Print Email Add Fox News on Google close Video NCAA Should NOT Suspend Brendan Sorsby For Gambling | Don't @ Me w/ Dan Dakich Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby has stepped away from football to enter a residential treatment program for a gambling addiction. Dakich explains why the NCAA should not suspend Sorsby. The 2026 FIFA World Cup is just weeks away, and as I do every four years or so, I'm jonesing for some World Cup soccer.
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