World Cup 2026 has debuted several new rules, including one that says that players who cover their mouths to say something without being seen will be automatically sent off, because it's assumed they are saying something wrong (like a racist insult) and want to avoid punishment. It was included after the Prestianni vs. Vinícius incident in a Champions League match between Real Madrid and Benfica.
So far, two players have been sent off by this rule in the competition: Miguel Almirón from Paraguay and Piero Hincapié for Ecuador; in both cases, the VAR called the referee, as he did not see the actions himself. Jude Bellingham did cover his mouth when he talked with Ghana's Jordan Ayew, but was not sent off because it was not a confrontation, but a friendly or formal conversation.
While the rule was approved by the International Football Association Board (IFAB) in April, it is at discretion of the organisers to use them. UEFA has decided not to use it in their competitions like Champions League, Nations League, or Euro. Instead, the referee will asses each situation individually, and if they find "an attempt to conceal communication as an act of unsporting behaviour", they will decide if it's punishable by a yellow card.
As BBC reports, UEFA will do use the option for VAR to correct the referees when corners are incorrectly awarded, but won't use the rule of showing red cards to players who leave the field in protest at a referee's decision.
