England midfielder Jude Bellingham was not given a red card despite appearing to cover his mouth while speaking to Jordan Ayew against Ghana on June 23.

Bellingham’s actions triggered some confusion about why he was not given a red card despite the new FIFA guidelines stipulating that players can be sent off for such an action.

Paraguay’s Miguel Almiron was the first player to fall foul of the rule, earning a red card against Turkiye for covering his mouth in a confrontation for covering his mouth while talking to Mert Mulder upon VAR review.

However, Bellingham was not given a red card as his interaction with Ayew was not a confrontation but a friendly conversation. The criteria for a red card requires the player to have covered their mouth in a confrontation specifically, differentiating the Almiron incident from the Bellingham one.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino pushed for the new rule after Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni tried to hide verbal insults toward Real Madrid’s Vinícius Júnior in a Champions League game.

The rule was worded: A player who covers their mouth with their hand, arm or shirt in confrontational situations will receive a red card. However, players who cover their mouths while having friendly conversations with club teammates on opposing teams, for example, will ‌not be punished.

Published on Jun 24, 2026