World football governing body FIFA has announced that players who cover their mouths during confrontations with opponents risk being shown a red card at the World Cup, as part of a fresh push to tackle racism in the game.
The decision was confirmed on Tuesday following a meeting of the International Football Association Board in Vancouver, where officials approved two new law changes set to take effect at this year’s tournament.
“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 move comes in the wake of controversy involving Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni, who was accused of racially abusing Vinicius Junior during a Champions League clash earlier this year.
Prestianni was alleged to have repeatedly called Vinicius a “monkey” while covering his mouth. Although he denied the allegation, he was subsequently handed a six-match ban, three of which were suspended — for “homophobic conduct”.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino had earlier backed the proposed rule in an interview with Sky News.
“If a player covers his mouth and says something, and this has a racist consequence, then he has to be sent off, obviously,” Infantino said.
“There must be a presumption that he has said something he shouldn’t have said, otherwise he wouldn’t have had to cover his mouth.
“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.”
In a separate amendment, FIFA also approved red-card sanctions for players who leave the pitch in protest against a referee’s decision.
“At the discretion of the competition organiser, the referee may sanction with a red card any player who leaves the field of play in protest at a referee’s decision,” FIFA said.
“This new rule will also apply to any team official who incites players to leave the field of play.”
The governing body added that any team responsible for causing a match to be abandoned would automatically forfeit the game.
The change follows controversy at the Africa Cup of Nations final, where Senegal’s players, alongside head coach Pape Thiaw and his staff, walked off the pitch in protest after Morocco were awarded a late penalty.
The spot-kick, taken by Brahim Diaz, was missed.
Senegal initially secured a 1-0 victory after extra time but were later stripped of the title by the Confederation of African Football in a controversial ruling issued last month.
FIFA delegates are currently gathered in Vancouver ahead of Thursday’s FIFA Congress, the final major meeting before the World Cup kicks off across Canada, Mexico and the United States in June.
