Overview
- FIFA president Gianni Infantino urged referees to treat mouth-covering in confrontations as grounds for dismissal on a presumption of offensive language tied to racist abuse.
- The issue was tabled at IFAB’s annual meeting in Wales, with officials agreeing to consult on measures to curb concealed on-field speech.
- Next steps could come at the FIFA Congress in Vancouver on April 30, allowing any approved change to be in place for this summer’s World Cup.
- UEFA’s ethics investigation into the Feb. 17 Vinícius Júnior–Gianluca Prestianni incident remains active, with Prestianni provisionally suspended and facing a possible 10-match ban if found guilty; he denies the allegation.
- Infantino also floated lighter sanctions for offenders who publicly apologise, while FA chief Mark Bullingham cautioned against unintended consequences from an automatic red-card rule.