European revolt… UEFA refuses to implement 2026 World Cup rule

The European Football Association (UEFA) has refused to accept the new refereeing updates approved by the International Federation (FIFA) and will be implemented at the 2026 World Cup, the first of which is the rule of sending off players for covering their mouths while talking on the pitch.

UEFA confirmed Official announcement It will continue to work on its mechanism for assessing arbitration cases and will not impose an automatic penalty on players for simply shutting up, although the new rule has already been applied at the World Cup and resulted in both Miguel Almiron and Piero Hincapie being sent off after video interference.

The new rule comes after an incident between Gianluca Brestani and Vinicius Junior in the Champions League, which prompted FIFA president Gianni Infantino to propose the change to the International Football Association Board (IFAB) for formal approval.

The Continental Union explained that its referees would deal with each incident individually, noting that “any attempt to conceal communication, if it is unsportsmanlike conduct,” could result in a yellow or red card at the referee’s discretion, without necessarily being sent off outright. He added that this does not prevent him from starting an investigation or taking further disciplinary measures if necessary.

UEFA believes the gag gesture has become commonplace among players and is not calling for immediate severe punishment, citing the case of Jude Bellingham, who made the same gesture in the England-Ghana game without being sent off.

The federation also stressed that, despite accepting some other amendments issued by the IFAB, it would not apply automatic sending-offs to players for leaving the field for protest, sticking to giving referees a wider scope to assess the situation than the automatic penalties that FIFA began to impose at the 2026 World Cup.