Unlike World Cup, UEFA will not give straight red for covered mouths

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·3 July 2026

Unlike World Cup, UEFA will not give straight red for covered mouths

UEFA confirmed in a statement that covering the mouth will not, by itself, result in an automatic red card in its competitions, a departure from how the law has been applied at the 2026 World Cup.

Referees will decide sanctions on a case-by-case basis. If they judge a player is concealing communication, it can be deemed unsporting behaviour punishable by a yellow card, and incidents may still face disciplinary review.