World Cup officials are rigorously implementing a new directive, introduced before the current tournament, which imposes an immediate red card on any player who covers their mouth while verbally confronting an opponent. This 'Prestianni Law' has already proven controversial, with two players ejected from matches and a recent attempt to get England captain Harry Kane sent off during the semi-final against Argentina.
The rule gained prominence during England's semi-final clash when Argentina midfielder Leandro Paredes appeared to try and have Kane dismissed. Paredes complained to referee Ismail Elfath after Kane briefly covered his mouth while speaking to the official. However, Kane was not engaged in a confrontation with an opponent at the time, leading former England goalkeeper Joe Hart to label Paredes' actions as "pathetic".
The directive has already been applied twice in the tournament. Paraguay midfielder Miguel Almiron was the first player to receive a red card under the new rule in a group match against Turkey, after covering his mouth during an exchange with defender Mert Mulder. Almiron subsequently missed Paraguay's final group game. Similarly, Ecuador defender Piero Hincapié was sent off in second-half stoppage time during his team's 2-0 loss to Mexico in the round of 32 following an exchange with Mexico forward Santi Giménez. FIFA confirmed that decisions made under this rule are not subject to appeal.
FIFA established the new rule to prevent players from concealing abusive, discriminatory, or offensive language. FIFA President Gianni Infantino championed the change following an incident in a Champions League match in February, where Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni was accused of attempting to hide racially charged verbal insults towards Real Madrid forward Vinícius Júnior. Vinícius alleged Prestianni covered his mouth with his jersey. The International Football Association Board (IFAB) unanimously approved the guideline, which grants tournament organisers, such as FIFA, the discretion to implement it, even though it is not mandatory in the Laws of the Game.
When a player receives a red card at the World Cup, they are immediately ejected from the match and must serve a one-game suspension in their team's next fixture. While the team is forced to play the remainder of the current match with 10 players, putting them at a significant disadvantage, they are allowed to start the following match at full strength with 11 players, excluding the suspended individual.