VANCOUVER, Canada: In a bold move to stop hidden hate on the pitch, FIFA announced that any World Cup player who covers their mouth during a confrontation with an opponent will face a straight red card.
Following a meeting of the International Football Association Board (IFAB) in Vancouver, football’s global governing body confirmed that the rule is one of two major law changes being introduced at this year’s World Cup, which kicks off in Canada, Mexico, and the United States in June.
📢📢📢 The IFAB unanimously approves red card for players covering their mouths to conceal discriminatory behaviour
At a Special Meeting held in Vancouver, Canada, The IFAB unanimously approved two FIFA-proposed Law amendments to address discriminatory and inappropriate… pic.twitter.com/ooWIpLFJXA
— FIFA Media (@fifamedia) April 28, 2026
“At the discretion of the competition organiser, any player covering their mouth in a confrontational situation with an opponent may be sanctioned with a red card,” FIFA said in a statement.
The change comes after an incident earlier this year when Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni was accused of racially abusing Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior during a Champions League game in February. Prestianni was accused of repeatedly calling Vinicius a “monkey” while covering his mouth. He denied the accusation but was later banned for six matches for “homophobic conduct.”
FIFA President Gianni Infantino had voiced support for the law change last month. “If a player covers his mouth and says something, and this has a racist consequence, then he has to be sent off, obviously,” Infantino told Sky News. “If you do not have something to hide, you don’t hide your mouth when you say something. That’s it, as simple as that.”
Protest sanction
In a separate change, FIFA said red cards will also be given to players who leave the field of play in protest at a referee’s decision. The same rule applies to team officials who encourage players to walk off. Any team causing a game to be abandoned will forfeit the match.
The move follows controversy at this year’s Africa Cup of Nations final, when Senegal’s players and coaches briefly walked off the pitch after a penalty was awarded against them.
