World Cup 2026 players who cover mouths or leave pitch in protest may be red carded

Any player who covers their mouth when confronting an opponent or who leaves the pitch in protest at a refereeing decision will receive an automatic red card at this summer’s World Cup.

In a regulation change approved by the International Football Association Board (Ifab) ahead of Thursday’s Fifa Congress in Vancouver it was confirmed that the new protocols will be in place for the tournament, which begins in June.

Ifab has not mandated that the rules be enforced in other competitions, and it will be left to other competitions’ organisers to decide whether to introduce them.

The red card for leaving the pitch in protest comes in the wake of the controversy that marred the 2026 Africa Cup of Nations final. During that match several Senegal walked off after a late penalty decision. Morocco’s Brahim Díaz missed that penalty after a lengthy delay, with Senegal going on to win the final in extra time.

“At the discretion of the competition organiser, the referee may sanction with a red card any player who leaves the field of play in protest at a referee’s decision,” Ifab said in a statement. “This new rule will also apply to any team official who incites players to leave the field of play. A team that causes a match to be abandoned will, in principle, forfeit the match.”

One objection that has been raised by European domestic leagues to the automatic red card for a player leaving the pitch is the possibility that it later emerges they have suffered racist abuse.

The issue of players covering their mouths has also become intertwined with racist abuse, after a recent high profile incident in February when Real Madrid’s Vinícius Jr accused Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni of racially abusing him while covering his mouth with his shirt.

Uefa banned Prestianni for six matches after he admitted making homophobic comments, with Fifa president Gianni Infantino leading calls for a clampdown.

Infantino has also called for harsher punishments for players leaving the pitch after the controversial Afcon final. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) appeal board later overturned the result of January’s final and awarded the game to Morocco, although Senegal have launched an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.