Players risk expulsion under a new anti-racism rule

Players who cover their mouths during arguments with competitors will face the risk of receiving a red card during the 2026 World Cup, as part of a new initiative aimed at combating racism, according to what the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) announced on Tuesday.

In a statement issued following a meeting of the International Federation of Association Football (IFAB) Council in Vancouver, FIFA confirmed that this rule is one of two amendments to the laws of the game that will be implemented in the World Cup scheduled for this year.

FIFA said in its statement: “At the discretion of the competition organizing body, any player who covers his mouth in a confrontational position with an opponent may be punished with a red card.”

This amendment comes in the wake of a controversy sparked by an incident that occurred earlier this year, when Benfica’s Argentine winger, Portuguese Gianluca Pristiani, was accused of racially abusing Real Madrid’s Brazilian star, Vinicius Junior, during a Champions League match in February.

Priestiani was accused of repeatedly calling Vinicius a “monkey” while covering his mouth. The Argentine denied committing any racist abuse against the Brazilian, but he was later punished with a six-match ban, three of which were suspended, for “homophobic behavior.”

In a separate legal amendment that will also be applied during the World Cup, FIFA said that the red card will also be displayed in the face of players who leave the field in protest against an arbitration decision.

The statement added, “According to the discretion of the competition organizing body, the referee can punish any player who leaves the field in protest against an arbitration decision with a red card.”

The statement continued, “This new amendment will also apply to any team official who incites players to leave the field.”

FIFA explained that any team that causes a match to be canceled will be considered a loser.

This decision comes in the wake of the controversy that accompanied the final of the African Cup of Nations this year, when the Senegal players, their coach, Pape Thiaw, and his technical staff left the field in Rabat, after the Moroccan national team was awarded a penalty kick in stoppage time, which was later missed by Real Madrid striker Ibrahim Dias.

Although Senegal won the final match 1-0 after extra time, it was suddenly stripped of the title by a shocking decision issued by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) last month.

These amendments to the laws came at a time when FIFA delegates were meeting in Vancouver ahead of the FIFA Congress on Thursday, which is the last meeting of the world football body before the start of the World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States in June.