[Saba Sports News] Mexico beat Ecuador 2-0 in the World Cup Round of 16 to advance to the Round of 8. In stoppage time of the match, Ecuador defender Piero Hincapié clashed with Mexico forward Santiago Giménez. The pair exchanged heated words, creating a tense standoff. As Hincapié covered his mouth while speaking during the confrontation, Santiago Giménez complained to the referee. The official then headed to the sideline to review the VAR footage and ultimately showed Hincapié a red card.
Statistics show this is the second “hand-over-mouth red card” issued at this World Cup. Earlier, in Matchday 2 of the group stage between Turkey and Paraguay, Paraguayan player Miguel Almiron also received a red card for covering his mouth during an argument. The new ban on covering one’s mouth originated from a 2025-26 UEFA Champions League fixture, where Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior accused Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni of hurling racial slurs while hiding his mouth behind his jersey. Prestianni firmly denied the allegation, yet without lip readers available, there was no way to verify whether any racist remarks had actually been made.
In late April this year, at a special meeting held in Vancouver, Canada, the International Football Association Board (IFAB) unanimously approved rule amendments proposed by FIFA to curb discriminatory and unsportsmanlike conduct. According to the official interpretation of the new rule, any player who covers their mouth during a dispute with an opponent risks being shown a red card.
In my view, this decision was handed down in strict accordance with the newly added “Vinicius Rule” for this World Cup. It states that any player who covers their mouth with hands, arms or jersey amid confrontation or altercation and is deemed to be engaging in hostile communication may be sent off directly, without the need to verify the exact words spoken.