Players competing at this summer’s World Cup will face a red card if they cover their mouths during confrontations under new rules approved by the Fifa Council in Vancouver.
The global governing body confirmed the strict measure alongside another amendment threatening dismissals for players who leave the pitch in protest.
Both law changes were approved as competition opt-ins by the International Football Association Board (Ifab) and will be immediately adopted for the upcoming tournament.
Referees will retain absolute discretion when considering the circumstances before issuing a sending off.
Prestianni incident prompts clampdown
Scrutiny over concealed conversations peaked in February when Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni raised his shirt to speak to Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr during a Champions League fixture.
The Argentine youth international was subsequently investigated by Uefa and handed a six-match ban, three of which were suspended, for homophobic conduct.
Following an agreement at Ifab’s annual general meeting in Wales, the issue was escalated to the Fifa Council agenda.
‘If you don’t have something to hide, you don’t hide your mouth’
Fifa president Gianni Infantino strongly backed the introduction of the dismissal, stating he wanted the rule to serve as a powerful deterrent.
“If a player covers his mouth and says something, and this has a racist consequence, then he has to be sent off, obviously.”
“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.”
“If you do not have something to hide, you don’t hide your mouth when you say something. That’s it, as simple as that.”
Afcon walkout leads to protest penalties
The secondary rule change regarding pitch walkouts follows controversial scenes during the recent Africa Cup of Nations final between Morocco and Senegal.
The Senegalese squad temporarily retreated to the changing rooms to protest a penalty awarded to their North African opponents.
Although the match eventually resumed and Senegal claimed a 1-0 victory, the Confederation of African Football (Caf) subsequently stripped them of the title and awarded Morocco a 3-0 default win.
Under the new Fifa guidelines, any team official who incites players to leave the field of play will also be dismissed.
Furthermore, a team that causes a match to be abandoned through such protests will automatically forfeit the fixture.
Marseille forward Mason Greenwood is facing intense dressing room criticism over his alleged poor attitude and a perceived lack of defensive effort.
The former Manchester United attacker was surprisingly dropped to the bench for the club’s recent Ligue 1 draw against OGC Nice.
While Marseille manager Habib Beye cited a minor injury for the omission, reports in France point to significant friction behind the scenes.
According to French outlet RMC Sport, several teammates believe the 24-year-old is selfish on the pitch and does not contribute enough without the ball.
Dressing room frustrations
There is growing resentment within the Stade Velodrome camp that the Englishman receives special treatment from club executives.
These frustrations have reportedly been exacerbated by incidents of him arriving late to training and reacting poorly to instructions from coaching staff.
Representatives for the one-cap England international have contacted club officials to maintain that their client has been playing through an underlying fitness issue.
However, former Ligue 1 midfielder Younes Belhanda recently claimed that the forward is creating a deeply negative environment.
“Greenwood? Him; from what it seems, he’s not all that great in training. I’ve heard things, at training… He does what he wants,” Belhanda stated.
“Has he won a certain number of matches? Yes, but if he brings you a bad atmosphere, that he has special privileges and that he does what he wants at training, it’s not the right example.”
Financial implications for Manchester United
The ongoing unrest could have significant financial ramifications for Premier League giants Manchester United.
The Old Trafford hierarchy included a substantial 50% sell-on clause when they sanctioned his permanent departure to France in 2024.
This exit was orchestrated as United sought to distance themselves following his 2022 arrest on serious charges, which were subsequently discontinued.
Despite the current controversy, the forward’s impressive output of 47 goals and 16 assists over two seasons ensures his market value remains exceptionally high.
Should his relationship with Marseille deteriorate completely, the Red Devils stand to earn a major windfall from any potential summer departure.
“In case of a future sale of Mason Greenwood, Man United will receive 50% of the transfer fee,” transfer expert Fabrizio Romano confirmed.
“They still control 50% and could be big money if and when Marseille decide to sell Greenwood.”
Chelsea have begun the search for their next permanent manager, with Andoni Iraola, Marco Silva and Xabi Alonso emerging as early candidates to take charge at Stamford Bridge.
The West London club are actively exploring their options as they look to stabilise the team following a period of managerial turnover.
According to sports reporter Ben Jacobs, the recruitment process is already well underway with several realistic targets identified.
Bournemouth head coach Iraola and Fulham manager Silva represent established Premier League options for the Blues hierarchy.
High-profile alternatives and complications
Bayer Leverkusen boss Alonso remains a highly sought-after figure in European football.
However, extracting the Spanish tactician from the German champions is expected to be a highly complicated endeavour.
The ongoing assessment also includes evaluations of Julian Nagelsmann, alongside former players Cesc Fàbregas and Filipe Luís.
Speculation surrounding a sensational return for José Mourinho continues to circulate, though his immediate future remains unresolved.
Luis Enrique ruled out of Stamford Bridge switch
One prominent name seemingly removed from contention is current Paris St-Germain manager Luis Enrique.
The French giants are actively pushing to retain the 54-year-old on a long-term contract, making a move to England a non-starter.
Chelsea’s ownership group must now navigate this complex market to secure a leader capable of returning the two-time Champions League winners to the pinnacle of domestic football.
Senegal will begin their World Cup 2026 campaign in North America this summer while awaiting a crucial Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling over their revoked Africa Cup of Nations title.
The Lions of Teranga have been drawn in Group I alongside France, Norway and Iraq.
They enter the tournament hoping to build on Morocco’s historic run to the semi-finals in Qatar four years ago.
AFCON final chaos overshadows preparations
The West African nation’s build-up has been heavily distracted by the fallout from January’s chaotic continental final against Morocco.
Senegal’s players walked off the pitch in protest after their opponents were awarded a highly contentious penalty deep into second-half stoppage time.
Upon returning 17 minutes later, goalkeeper Edouard Mendy saved a Panenka attempt from Brahim Diaz before Pape Gueye secured a 1-0 victory in extra time.
Stripped of the continental title
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) later overturned the result, awarding Morocco a 3-0 forfeit victory because of the unauthorised walk-off instigated by manager Pape Thiaw.
The Senegalese federation immediately appealed the controversial decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Babacar Diarra, an African football expert, insists the squad and their supporters remain unfazed by the boardroom politics.
“The most recent reaction is that fans and players are just sticking to what happened on the pitch,” Diarra said.
“They want to consider themselves African champions, and they demonstrated that at the Stade de France by showing the trophy to the fans.”
“Whatever happens behind the scenes with the CAS decision, they own the trophy.”
A potential match official for the upcoming World Cup has been suspended by Fifa after being arrested over an alleged sexual assault at a London hotel.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed a man in his 30s was released on bail following the reported incident.
Football’s global governing body stated on Tuesday that it is aware of the serious allegation and has removed the individual from tournament consideration.
“In the meantime, the match official will not be considered for any Fifa competition matches,” a Fifa statement read.
Uefa launches active investigation
The unidentified official was working at a European competition game in Britain when the alleged assault took place.
The European football confederation has also withdrawn the individual from its upcoming fixtures pending police enquiries.
“We are monitoring the situation with great concern and will continue to follow developments closely,” Uefa stated.
Officials confirmed the ongoing situation is currently being treated as an active investigation.
World Cup preparations overshadowed
The 104-game international tournament is scheduled to be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico between 11 June and 19 July.
Earlier this month, a preliminary list containing 52 referees, 88 assistant referees and 30 video match officials was published.
England will begin their campaign in North America under manager Thomas Tuchel against Croatia on 17 June.
The Three Lions are scheduled to face Ghana before concluding their group stage fixtures against Panama on 27 June.
Tuchel’s squad are seeking to end a long major trophy drought, having previously fallen at the quarter-final stage against France four years ago.
The Premier League has confirmed that Chelsea will host Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday, 19 May, in a rearranged fixture with huge relegation implications for the visitors.
The fiercely contested London derby was originally postponed last week due to the hosts advancing to the FA Cup final.
The Blues will face Manchester City in the showpiece event on 16 May, forcing this crucial league encounter to be pushed back.
Kick-off in west London is now officially scheduled for 20:15 BST.
Survival hopes hang in the balance
The rearranged fixture arrives at a critical juncture for the struggling north Londoners.
Roberto De Zerbi’s team currently sit in the bottom three, finding themselves two points adrift of top-flight safety.
Their perilous situation worsened recently after West Ham United secured a dramatic late victory over Everton.
That vital result for the Hammers immediately cancelled out the Italian manager’s first win in charge against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Historic relegation remains a threat
This pivotal trip follows another crucial matchweek where West Ham travel to St James’ Park to play Newcastle United.
Should results go against them beforehand, a defeat at Stamford Bridge could mathematically confirm Tottenham’s first ever relegation from the Premier League.
The home side also have plenty on the line, retaining faint mathematical hopes of qualifying for next season’s Champions League.
Manager remains positive
Despite the immense pressure, the recently appointed head coach remains upbeat about his squad’s chances of avoiding the drop.
“I believe to stay up,” Roberto De Zerbi said.
“If I stay here, it’s because I’m positive, now, because I’m a coach of Tottenham, Tottenham is not important on the pitch, if you are Tottenham or another team, the most important are the qualities of the players, and the human level of the players.”
The former Brighton boss admitted he was initially surprised by the daunting situation but has grown confident after assessing his dressing room.
“It was a surprise for me, because I didn’t know them, and when I knew better my players, I understood that we have the possibility, the chance to stay up.”
He emphasised that the narrow two-point gap to safety is manageable given the squad’s underlying ability.
“We have two points, not 10 points, we have two points from West Ham. West Ham are a good team, but also Tottenham are very good players and a very good team.”
Manchester United are planning a significant summer squad overhaul with up to 10 first-team players facing departures from Old Trafford to prepare for their Champions League return.
The Red Devils have enjoyed a notable resurgence since Michael Carrick replaced Ruben Amorim in January, successfully securing qualification for Europe’s elite competition.
Club executives are now wasting no time in reshaping the squad, with crucial recruitment meetings scheduled over the coming days to finalise their transfer strategy.
High-profile departures expected
Andre Onana heads the list of potential exits, with the hierarchy hoping to secure an £18.9m fee from Trabzonspor.
The Cameroonian goalkeeper is currently on loan with the Turkish club, and a permanent sale would represent a significant loss on the £47.2m paid to Inter Milan in 2023.
Midfield and attacking options are also set for a refresh, as out-of-favour duo Joshua Zirkzee and Manuel Ugarte prepare to be placed on the transfer market.
Both players have struggled to cement their places under the new management team, starting just 12 Premier League matches between them this term.
Rashford and Sancho futures uncertain
Veteran midfielder Casemiro is also expected to leave, forcing the 20-time English champions to heavily invest in fresh engine room options.
Marcus Rashford’s long-term future appears to lie away from Manchester following a second consecutive season out on loan.
Barcelona possess a £26m buy option for the English forward, although the Catalan giants are reportedly keen on negotiating another temporary agreement instead.
Jadon Sancho is another high-profile winger heading for the exit door, as he will not be offered a new contract.
The former Parisian and Borussia Dortmund star is currently spending the campaign at Aston Villa, but the German outfit remain interested in bringing him back for a third spell.
Fringe players and defensive exits
Goalkeeping understudy Altay Bayindir is attracting interest from Besiktas after spending the campaign as backup to Senne Lammens.
Injury-plagued defender Tyrell Malacia will be released following a frustrating season that yielded only two domestic appearances.
Youngster Toby Collyer is entering the final 12 months of his deal, prompting the club to consider cashing in on the 22-year-old talent.
Tyler Fredricson is also poised to walk away for free when his current terms expire at the end of the season.
Amid the anticipated mass exodus, highly rated academy graduate Kobbie Mainoo has provided a major boost by agreeing a new five-year contract.
Real Madrid defender Eder Militao will miss this summer’s World Cup for Brazil after undergoing surgery on a torn hamstring.
The Spanish club confirmed the successful operation took place on Tuesday.
It serves as a significant blow to the national team with the tournament commencing in less than 50 days.
Surgery confirms injury fears
“Our player Eder Militao underwent successful surgery today for a tear in the proximal biceps femoris tendon in his left leg,” Real Madrid stated.
“The operation was performed by Dr Lasse Lempainen under the supervision of Real Madrid’s medical staff. Militão will begin his rehabilitation in the coming days.”
The 28-year-old initially sustained the issue during last week’s 2-1 victory over Alaves.
He immediately signalled to the bench for a substitution after feeling a twinge during a challenge.
Ancelotti’s mounting defensive crisis
Initial hopes for a rapid recovery were extinguished when medical examinations revealed a recurrence of a previous injury from December.
This latest physical setback continues a frustrating period for the centre-back, who has already endured two serious knee injuries in recent years.
The defender has amassed 38 international caps since his debut in 2018 and was widely expected to start this summer.
Brazil manager Carlo Ancelotti must now rethink his defensive strategy ahead of their opening Group C fixture against Morocco on 13 June.
Brazil chase elusive sixth title
The South American giants will also be without Rodrygo, after Militao’s club teammate suffered a serious knee injury last month.
The national team are desperately seeking their sixth world crown, having endured a 24-year wait since last lifting international football’s most prestigious trophy.
Following their opener, Ancelotti’s squad face Haiti on 20 June before concluding the group stages against Scotland four days later.