European football's governing body has confirmed it will not implement the contentious new law that allows referees to send off players for covering their mouths during confrontations with opponents. The decision, announced on Thursday, means the rule will not apply in the Champions League, Europa League or Conference League — a significant departure from the approach being taken at the current World Cup.

What the law actually says

The rule in question was approved by the International Football Association Board in April, at the instigation of Fifa president Gianni Infantino. His argument was straightforward: if players conceal what they are saying to an opponent, a red card should serve as a deterrent to potentially abusive language. The law is an opt-in measure, meaning competition organisers may choose whether to apply it.

Uefa has chosen not to. Instead, its guidance instructs referees to assess situations on their individual merits, with a yellow card remaining a possibility where covering the mouth appears to be a deliberate attempt to conceal communication as an act of unsporting behaviour. Any subsequent disciplinary investigation — should there be grounds — remains entirely separate from what happens on the pitch.

The incident that brought this into sharp focus

The debate had already landed squarely in Uefa's lap earlier this year. During a Champions League tie between Benfica and Real Madrid in February, Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni raised his shirt to cover his mouth while in conversation with an opponent. The Argentina international was initially accused of racist abuse and provisionally suspended for one match. A full Uefa investigation ultimately found him guilty of homophobic conduct instead, resulting in a six-match ban, three of which were suspended.

That incident, occurring in its own flagship competition, might have pushed Uefa towards adopting the new law. Instead, the governing body has taken a more cautious line — one that sits more comfortably with longstanding principles of natural justice.

A rule already dividing opinion at the World Cup

The wider controversy surrounding the law has been on vivid display in the group stages and knockouts of the World Cup. Paraguay's Miguel Almiron became the first player to be dismissed under it, shown a red card during his side's group fixture against Turkey following a VAR review. Ecuador's Piero Hincapie followed, receiving his marching orders in the last-sixteen defeat to co-hosts Mexico, also after VAR intervened.

The rule has attracted sustained criticism, chiefly because it operates on a presumption of guilt rather than innocence. Critics point out that it could easily be exploited — a player merely holding a private conversation might find an opponent simulating offence to engineer a dismissal. The confusion has been compounded by inconsistent application: England's Jude Bellingham was not sent off when he covered his mouth during a group-stage conversation with Ghana's Jordan Ayew, illustrating how subjective the law remains in practice.

Where Uefa does align with Fifa

The governing body's scepticism about the red card measure does not extend across the board. Uefa has confirmed it will make use of another innovation being trialled at the World Cup: VAR checks for incorrect corners. Twenty-two such decisions have already been reversed to goal-kicks at the tournament, and Uefa evidently sees genuine value in that particular application of the technology.

What Uefa has also declined to adopt is the provision allowing red cards for players who leave the field in protest at a referee's decision — another opt-in measure that competition organisers may choose to enforce.

Taken together, Uefa's position amounts to a quiet but firm rebuke of Infantino's more interventionist instincts. The market will no doubt continue to reflect the uncertainty that surrounds disciplinary outcomes in European nights, but for supporters and clubs alike, the message from Nyon is relatively clear: on this particular question, the existing framework, applied with discretion, is deemed sufficient.

Frequently asked

Will players be sent off for covering their mouths in the Champions League?
No. Uefa has confirmed it will not apply the new red card rule for mouth-covering in the Champions League, Europa League or Conference League. Referees may still show a yellow card if they judge the behaviour to be deliberate unsporting conduct.
Why is the mouth-covering red card rule so controversial?
Critics argue the rule assumes guilt rather than allowing players the presumption of innocence. There are also concerns it could be misused by opponents to engineer a dismissal, and its application has already been inconsistent at the World Cup.
Which players have been sent off for covering their mouths at the 2026 World Cup?
Paraguay's Miguel Almiron was the first to be dismissed under the rule, during a group-stage game against Turkey. Ecuador's Piero Hincapie was subsequently sent off in the last-sixteen defeat to Mexico, with both dismissals confirmed via VAR review.