England midfielder Jude Bellingham has found himself at the centre of another World Cup controversy after television cameras captured him covering his mouth while speaking to Ghana captain Jordan Ayew during Tuesday’s Group L clash.
The incident quickly sparked debate because of a new FIFA rule introduced for the 2026 World Cup that allows players to be sent off for covering their mouths during confrontational exchanges with opponents.
The law was introduced following several incidents involving offensive language and discriminatory abuse in club football, with FIFA president Gianni Infantino backing tougher sanctions at the tournament.
Questions were immediately raised after images emerged of Bellingham speaking to Ayew while covering his mouth during England’s goalless draw with Ghana in Boston.
However, FIFA’s interpretation of the rule appears to have worked in the Real Madrid star’s favour.
According to FIFA’s head of referees, Pierluigi Collina, the act of covering one’s mouth is not automatically an offence. The key factor is whether the conversation is deemed confrontational.
“Players can continue to cover their mouth with an arm and the shirt because they may chat with friends,” Collina explained before the tournament.
“When the conversation is confrontational, covering the mouth means that you are doing something very wrong, potentially, and the sanction is the red card.”
In Bellingham’s case, there was no indication of hostility between the England midfielder and Ayew during the exchange.
Unlike Paraguay midfielder Miguel Almiron, who became the first player sent off under the new rule after covering his mouth during a heated confrontation against Turkey, Bellingham was simply engaged in conversation with the Ghana captain.
As a result, neither referee Said Martinez nor the VAR team considered the incident worthy of further action.
The controversy nevertheless added another layer to an eventful evening for Bellingham.
The England star was already involved in a heated exchange with Ghana coach Carlos Queiroz and members of the Black Stars bench before half-time following a challenge on Jerome Opoku.
Queiroz later accused Bellingham of using offensive language during the confrontation, although the midfielder insisted it was merely a competitive moment in the game.
Despite the debate, FIFA’s current interpretation of the rule suggests Bellingham did not commit an offence.
But the incident has once again highlighted the challenges officials face in applying one of the World Cup’s newest and most controversial regulations.
