The so-called “Vinicius Law” was born after a controversial episode between Vinícius Jr. and Gianluca Prestianni; the Argentine was accused of making discriminatory insults while covering his mouth.
FIFA, together with IFAB, approved a new rule: any player who covers their mouth to hide insults will be sent off. The measure is now official and will be applied starting from the 2026 World Cup.
“If a player covers his mouth and says something, you must start from the premise that he has said something he should not have said, otherwise he would not have had to cover his mouth,” said Gianni Infantino, president of FIFA.
This rule seeks to prevent footballers from hiding verbal abuse and making it harder to sanction. In addition, it is part of a package of stricter measures against discrimination in football.