New FIFA Announcements: Red Card for Covering Mouth and Improved Payments to National Teams at the World Cup
44 days before the 2026 World Cup, FIFA announced on Tuesday that footballers who cover their mouths during confrontations can receive a red card and ...
TL;DR
- FIFA will issue red cards to players who cover their mouths during confrontations at the 2026 World Cup.
- This new rule is part of an initiative to combat racism.
- Players who leave the field in protest of an referee's decision will also receive a red card.
- Teams causing a match to be suspended will forfeit the game.
- FIFA is increasing total financial distributions for the 2026 World Cup to $871 million.
- Preparation costs for each of the 48 qualified teams will increase from $1.5 million to $2.5 million.