‘Vinicius law’ passed by IFAB with red cards to punish players caught out

‘Vinicius law’ passed by IFAB with red cards to punish players caught out

On Tuesday night it was announced that the so-called ‘Vinicius law’ has been passed unanimously by IFAB, football’s governing body for officiating. The rule has come into force following the alleged racist abuse proffered to Vinicius Junior during the Champions League in February.

The Brazilian was allegedly racially abused by Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni during Real Madrid’s clash with Benfica in Lisbon this February. Prestianni was not punished on the pitch, but was given a temporary one-game ban for the second leg of the tie which Real Madrid ended up winning 3-1. UEFA struggled to find evidence of the accusations made by Vinicius, and corroborated by Kylian Mbappe, as Prestianni was covering his mouth when he made the comments.

IFAB announce approval of Vinicius law

It has been confirmed that a new rule will come into play that will see players covering their mouth during a confrontation with an opponent ‘may be sanctioned with a red card’. Following the drama of the AFCON final, another law has also come into force that will see players leaving the pitch in protest at refereeing decision punished with a red card too. The new laws will come into play during the 2026 World Cup this summer.

Prestianni was hit with six-game ban by UEFA