Don’t have something to hide? Don’t cover your mouth when you say it. “That’s it, as simple as that,” FIFA president Gianni Infantino stated about the new red card rule to be adopted at the 2026 World Cup. The rule empowers referees to eject players who hide their mouths during run-ins with opponents. It was a direct consequence of Gianluca Prestianni’s dubious conduct towards Vinicius Junior in their February UEFA Champions League face-off. Moments after netting a stunner, Vinicius alleged racial abuse and was vehemently backed by Real Madrid teammate Kylian Mbappe, who said Prestianni “doesn’t deserve to play this competition”. The 20-year-old Benfica forward retorted by claiming the Brazilian “misinterpreted what he thinks he heard”, and was eventually handed a six-match ban for homophobic remarks instead. FIFA later extended the ban globally, which meant Prestianni would have missed Argentina’s first two World Cup games had he been picked in the squad. Racism and homophobia lie in the same offence category under Article 14 of UEFA’s disciplinary regulations, and the striker’s mouth-shielding with his jersey …