Leandro Paredes spent part of England's semi-final against Argentina trying to get Harry Kane sent off for talking to the referee. Not for a foul, not for dissent — for briefly covering his mouth. It was cynical gamesmanship, and it almost worked, because the rule he was appealing to is very real.
FIFA introduced the so-called "Prestianni Law" before the tournament, granting referees the authority to issue a straight red card to any player who covers their mouth while verbally confronting an opponent. The idea is to stamp out abusive, discriminatory, or offensive language hidden from lip-readers and cameras. The enforcement has been immediate and unsparing.
Two red cards, zero tolerance
Paraguay's Miguel Almirón was the first casualty. He was sent off in a group stage match against Turkey for covering his mouth during an exchange with defender Mert Mulder. Paraguay won 1-0 anyway, but Almirón missed the following game, and FIFA made clear the decision was non-appealable.
Ecuador's Piero Hincapié followed in the round of 32, dismissed in second-half stoppage time during a 2-0 loss to Mexico after a confrontation with Santi Giménez. The scoreline didn't change, but the message was underscored: this rule is being enforced, every time, without exception.
The law traces back to a Champions League match in February, when Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni was accused of hiding racially charged language toward Real Madrid forward Vinícius Júnior by covering his mouth with his jersey. FIFA president Gianni Infantino pushed for the change, IFAB unanimously approved it at a special meeting, and here we are — a World Cup where hiding your words can end your match.
What Paredes got wrong
Kane wasn't confronting an opponent. He was speaking to referee Ismail Elfath. The rule specifically targets verbal confrontations between players, not conversations with officials. Paredes either misunderstood the rule or was hoping Elfath wouldn't check the fine print under semi-final pressure. He looked foolish either way.
Former England goalkeeper Joe Hart, working as a BBC pundit, called it "pathetic." Hard to argue. The attempted manipulation revealed something about how players are already learning to use this rule as a weapon — watching for any covered mouth, then sprinting to the referee regardless of context.
A red card under this rule means immediate ejection and a one-game suspension. The team plays out the match with ten men, a disadvantage that could decide a knockout tie. In tournament football, that's not a minor technicality — it's a match-altering moment. Any team with players prone to confrontational exchanges is carrying real exposure in the later rounds.
Almirón's ban, non-appealable and immediate, is the clearest signal of where FIFA stands. There's no grey area being left open for interpretation.
