FIFA President Infantino Pushes for Red Card Rule Over Racist Abuse in Football

FIFA mulls harsher punishments for abuse

FIFA proposes sending off players who cover mouths while making racist remarks, amid allegations against Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni.

Gianni Infantino suggests stricter punishments for racist abuse in football, including possible 10-match bans...

FIFA President Gianni Infantino is proposing a new rule where players who cover their mouths while talking to opponents could be sent off, especially if it's suspected to be racist abuse. This comes after Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni was accused of racially abusing Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior during a Champions League game, while covering his mouth with his shirt.

Infantino argues that if a player has nothing to hide, they wouldn't cover their mouth, implying guilt. He's pushing for stricter punishments to combat racism in football, and the International Football Association Board (IFAB) is considering implementing these measures before the World Cup.

The proposal suggests sending off players who cover their mouths and say something with racist undertones. Infantino also mentioned considering apologies and changing football's culture to tackle racism.

The issue was discussed at the International Football Association Board (IFAB) meeting on Saturday, highlighting potential changes to the game.

“If a player covers his mouth and says something, and this has a racist consequence, then he has to be sent off, obviously,” Infantino told Sky News.

“There must be a presumption that he has said something he shouldn't have said, otherwise he wouldn't have had to cover his mouth.

“I simply do not understand - if you don't have something to hide, you don't hide your mouth when you say something. That's it, as simple as that.

“And these are actions that we can take and we have to take in order to be serious about our fight against racism.”

FIFA is considering implementing measures to stop players from covering their mouths during matches, especially in cases of suspected racist abuse. This proposal is expected to be discussed at the next FIFA Congress in Vancouver next month, and if approved, could be enforced at this year's World Cup.

Gianni Infantino, FIFA President, has suggested that players who cover their mouths and make racist remarks should be sent off. He also proposed that punishments for racist abuse could be lessened if the guilty player publicly apologizes, emphasizing the importance of changing football's culture to combat racism.

Infantino's stance is in response to recent incidents, including the alleged racist abuse of Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior by Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni. UEFA has opened an investigation, and Prestianni could face a 10-match ban if found guilty.

“Maybe we should also think about not just punishing, but also somehow allowing, changing our culture, allowing players or whoever does something to apologise,” he added.

“You can do things that you don't want to do in a moment of anger (and) apologise and then the sanction has to be different, to move one step further and maybe we should think about something like that as well.”

Gianluca Prestianni has been provisionally suspended for the second leg of the Champions League tie against Real Madrid, pending UEFA's investigation into alleged racial abuse of Vinicius Junior. If found guilty, he could face a 10-match ban. Prestianni denies the allegations, claiming Vinicius misinterpreted what he said.

🚨 Benfica president Rui Costa: “Prestianni is being called a racist, but he is anything but racist. I can guarantee”.

“I can not know what was said or not said. What we believe is in the word of Prestianni; more than that, it is knowing the players we have at home”. pic.twitter.com/4O4TSQLZKw

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) February 24, 2026

Benfica coach Jose Mourinho has stated that if Prestianni is found guilty, his career with the club will be over. FIFA President Gianni Infantino has proposed a new rule where players covering their mouths while speaking to opponents could be sent off, aiming to combat racism in football.