England endured a frustrating night against Ghana, but things could have been even worse for Thomas Tuchel and his team
England struggled against Ghana despite avoiding a red card for 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. Paraguay ace Miguel Almiron became the first player in history to be sent off for attacking in the South American nation’s narrow win over Turkey.
Not long after Benfica star Gianluca Prestianni was suspended for six games for homophobic behavior towards Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior, FIFA declared the behavior straight up a red card offense before the World Cup.
However, there was a moment when Bellingham covered his mouth while speaking to Ghanaian forward Jordan Ayew in the game, which Thomas Tuchel’s side drew. Paraguay were furious after the Three Lions star was allowed to remain on the pitch.
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Spanish media outlet Mundo Deportivo reported that the Paraguayan Football Association has lodged an official complaint with FIFA, arguing that the regulation is not applied consistently and equally to all teams. The regulations state that if a player covers his mouth when confronting an opponent, he will be given a red card.
It is understood Bellingham remained on the pitch because his actions were not considered confrontational. FIFA president Gianni Infantino recently spoke out about Almiron’s red card and reiterated his support for the rule.
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He said: “Covering your mouth is a very important rule for us. It’s about respect, it’s about the example we should set. If you have nothing to hide, you shouldn’t cover your mouth when you’re talking to someone. The rules are made very clear for everyone.”
When Almiron was sent off, FIFA explained the decision in a statement: “Following a VAR test during the FIFA World Cup match between Turquier 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 for implementation at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. These included a red card being awarded if a player is seen covering his mouth in a confrontation situation with an opponent at the tournament.”
In this moment, Bellingham was not punished (Image: Ulrik Pedersen/NurPhoto/Shutterstock)
Former Premier League referee Keith Hackett believes Bellingham was lucky not to be sent off. He told Football Insider: “Jude Bellingham is rather lucky that neither the referee nor VAR noticed that he was covering his mouth while talking to an opponent.
“With the legislation introduced just before the start of the World Cup, England players were fortunate to avoid sanctions. There is a risk that the FIFA Disciplinary Committee could take retrospective action and impose sanctions on Bellingham.”
However, FIFA referee chief Pierluigi Collina said before the tournament that the circumstances were key when it came to players receiving red cards. He said: “Players may be chatting with friends so they can keep their arms and shirts covering their mouths. It is normal for them to chat before, during and after the game.”
Almiron couldn’t believe it when he received the red card (Image: AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
“So if the conversation is a friendly one, you can continue the conversation without any problem. If the conversation is confrontational, covering your mouth means you are potentially doing something very wrong and the sanction is a red card.”
Almiron will have to miss Paraguay’s final group game against Australia. Failure to collect points could result in a withdrawal from the competition, meaning Almiron’s red card would be his last act in the competition.
Paraguayan commentator Jorge Vera was particularly furious at the decision. During the broadcast, he labeled Infantino and referee Ivan Barton as “thieves” and accused them of “killing football”, resulting in FIFA disqualifying him from the World Cup.
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