David GOMBE
The International Football Association Board (IFAB) has unanimously approved two FIFA-proposed Law amendments to address discriminatory and inappropriate behaviour.
This was revealed at the meeting held on Tuesday in Vancouver, Canada.
According to IFAB’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) in February, these decisions follow thorough FIFA-led consultations with all key stakeholders.
According to IFAB, any player covering their mouth in a confrontational situation with an opponent may be sanctioned with a red card.
this year’s World Cup.
“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 new rule follows controversy earlier this year when Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni was accused of racially abusing Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior during a Champions League game in February.
On players leaving the field of play in protest at a referee’s decision, the referee may sanction with a red card any player who leaves the field of play in protest at a referee’s decision. This new rule will also apply to any team official who incites players to leave the field of play.
The move follows the uproar at this year’s final of the Africa Cup of Nations, when Senegal’s players, head coach Pape Thiaw and his staff walked off the pitch in Rabat after Morocco were awarded a penalty in added time, which forward Brahim Diaz ultimately missed.
Senegal went on to win the final 1-0 in extra time, but were sensationally stripped of the title by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) in a bombshell decision issued last month.
Any team that causes a match to be abandoned will, in principle, forfeit the match. These amendments will be communicated to the 48 participating teams at the FIFA World Cup 2026 in the coming weeks.
