Ahead of the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup, FIFA introduced a regulation penalizing players with a red card for covering their mouths “in a confrontational situation with an opponent.” This rule received unanimous approval from the International Football Association Board (IFAB) in late April.
Atlanta United star and Paraguay midfielder, Miguel Almiron, made history as the first player to receive a red card under this new rule. The incident occurred just before halftime during Paraguay’s 1-0 victory over Turkiye on June 19.
The following day, Australian midfielder Jackson Irvine gained attention for his comments against Almiron’s action. When asked about the newly implemented rule, Irvine stated, “The rule itself? Listen, I think it’s clear. We were all told before. It’s going to be controversial in some ways because we don’t know the nature of what it was, but when you look at what’s happened in the past, especially around the incident with Vinicius Junior, I think it takes everything out of the equation.”
If you’re saying something to someone that you don’t want to be seen, then I think it’s safe to say that if you can’t be seen saying it, then it shouldn’t be said.
Irvine’s perspective received widespread support, with Tipping Pitches summarizing the sentiment: “Oh, so it IS possible for an athlete to give a simple, clear-eyed answer about a sport making a good faith effort to create an inclusive and equitable environment.”
This rule’s origin involves an incident in February when Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni covered his mouth while speaking to Real Madrid’s Vini Jr. during a UEFA Champions League match. Vini Jr., representing Brazil at this World Cup, claimed Prestianni used slurs against him. UEFA consequently banned Prestianni for six matches.
Following this incident, FIFA announced its intention to “introduce measures” against the practice of players covering their mouths in matches played at this World Cup.