FIFA's 'Prestianni Law' draws first red cards at the World Cup as mouth-covering rule bites

FIFA’s controversial new rule against players covering their mouths during verbal confrontations has claimed its first victims at the World Cup, with Ecuador’s Piero Hincapié and Paraguay’s Miguel Almirón both receiving red cards under the directive.

Almirón became the first player punished under the rule when he was dismissed in Paraguay’s group-stage match against Turkey after covering his mouth during a confrontation with defender Mert Mulder. Paraguay still won the game 1-0, but Almirón was forced to sit out the side’s final group fixture against Australia. FIFA confirmed the decision was not subject to appeal.

Hincapié followed when he was sent off in second-half stoppage time during Ecuador’s 2-0 round-of-32 defeat to Mexico, after an exchange with forward Santi Giménez. The red card had no bearing on the final scoreline but reinforced how strictly officials are applying the rule.

The directive also surfaced during England’s semi-final against Argentina, when midfielder Leandro Paredes complained to referee Ismail Elfath after England captain Harry Kane briefly covered his mouth while speaking to the official. Kane was not engaged in a confrontation with an opponent and was not penalised. Former England goalkeeper Joe Hart, working as a pundit, described Paredes’s attempt to get Kane sent off as “pathetic”.

The rule — informally known as the “Prestianni Law” — was championed by FIFA president Gianni Infantino following an incident in a Champions League match in February, when Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni was accused of concealing racially charged verbal abuse directed at Real Madrid forward Vinícius Júnior by covering his mouth with his jersey.

The International Football Association Board (IFAB) unanimously approved the guideline at a special meeting attended by FIFA representatives and officials from the four British football associations. While the measure is not enshrined in the standard Laws of the Game, IFAB’s approval grants tournament organisers such as FIFA the discretion to implement it. Under the directive, covering the mouth while verbally confronting an opponent is treated as an attempt to hide abusive, discriminatory, or offensive language and carries an automatic red card.