England endured a frustrating evening against Ghana, but things could have been even worse for Thomas Tuchel and his squad
England struggled against Ghana despite escaping a red card in a controversial incident(Image: Alexandre Martins/DPPI/Shutterstock)
Paraguay have sent an official complaint to FIFA after Jude Bellingham was not sent off for putting his hand over his mouth while talking to an opponent. Paraguayan ace Miguel Almiron became the first-ever player to be sent off for the offence in the South American nation’s narrow victory over Turkey.
Before the World Cup, FIFA made the act a straight red card offence, not long after Benfica star Gianluca Prestianni was handed a six-match ban for homophobic conduct towards Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr.
However, there was a moment in Thomas Tuchel’s side’s draw when Bellingham covered his mouth as he spoke with Ghana forward Jordan Ayew. After the Three Lions star was allowed to remain on the pitch, Paraguay were left furious.
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Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo has claimed the Paraguayan Football Association has filed an official protest with FIFA, stating the regulation was not applied consistently and equally across all teams. The regulation states a player will be red carded if they cover their mouth while confronting an opponent.
It’s understood that Bellingham remained on the pitch because his act was not deemed to be confrontational. FIFA president Gianni Infantino recently spoke out about Almiron’s red card, reaffirming his support for the rule.
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He said: “This thing about covering the mouth is for us a very, very important rule. It’s about respect. It’s about the example that we should give. If you have nothing to hide, you don’t cover your mouth when you speak to somebody. The rules have been made very clear to everyone.”
When Almiron was sent off, FIFA explained the decision in a statement, which read: “Following a VAR review in the FIFA World Cup match between Türkiye and Paraguay, Miguel Almiron was shown a red card for covering his mouth.
“Following a special meeting of The IFAB held in April, a number of amendments were introduced to be implemented at the FIFA World Cup 2026. This included a red card for any player in the tournament seen covering their mouth in a confrontational situation with an opponent.”
Former Premier League referee Keith Hackett believes Bellingham was fortunate not to be sent off. Speaking to Football Insider, he said: “Jude Bellingham is rather fortunate that neither the referee nor VAR has detected that he was covering his mouth whilst in conversation with an opponent.
“Under the introduction of this law just prior to the start of the World Cup, the England player is fortunate to escape a sanction. There is a risk that the FIFA Disciplinary panel will take retrospective action and sanction Bellingham.”
However, FIFA referee chief Pierluigi Collina, before the tournament, stated context will be key regarding players being red-carded. He said: “Players can continue to cover their mouth with an arm and the shirt because they may chat with friends. It’s normal to have a chat before, during or after the match.
“So if the conversation is a friendly conversation, they can continue to do it without any problem. When the conversation is confrontational, covering the mouth means that you are doing something very wrong, potentially, and the sanction is the red card.”
Almiron will have to sit out of Paraguay’s final group match against Australia. If they fail to claim a point, there’s a chance they may exit the competition, meaning Almiron’s red card would be his final act in the competition.
Paraguayan commentator Jorge Vera was particularly furious with the decision. While on air, he labelled Infantino and referee Ivan Barton as “thieves” and accused them of “killing football”, which resulted in FIFA stripping him of his World Cup credentials.
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