In the match between Ecuador and Mexico in the 1/16 round of the 2026 World Cup taking place on the morning of July 1st (Vietnam time), defender Piero Hincapie received a direct red card in injury time of the second half after a dispute with striker Santiago Gimenez.
At that time, Ecuador was losing 0-2. Hincapie approached to exchange with Gimenez but used his hand to cover his mouth while the two players were arguing. The Mexican striker then reacted to referee Slavko Vincic and asked to consider the situation.
After consulting VAR and directly reviewing the video, the referee decided to issue a direct red card to the Ecuador defender for violating the new regulations applied at the 2026 World Cup.
This is the second player in the tournament to be sent off for covering his mouth when a dispute occurred with an opponent. Previously, Miguel Almiron also received a similar penalty.
According to new regulations approved by the International Football Association (IFAB) and applied by FIFA at the 2026 World Cup, the act of deliberately covering up in confrontations or arguments on the field may be considered a sign of concealing inappropriate statements and will be disciplined. The specific penalty level will depend on the assessment of the refereeing team after considering the entire developments.
With the direct red card, Hincapie will be suspended for at least one match according to regulations. The FIFA Disciplinary Committee also has the right to consider increasing the penalty if further violations are determined.
FIFA promotes this regulation after many incidents related to inappropriate statements and allegations of discrimination on the pitch. The goal is to increase transparency in communication between players, while supporting referees and VAR to handle unsportsmanlike conduct.
However, the regulation does not apply to all cases of covering mouths. The refereeing board will assess the specific context of each situation. Regular exchanges between players or with teammates, not confrontational or argumentative, will not be penalized.
In this match, Mexico won 2-0 against Ecuador thanks to goals from Julian Quinones and Raul Jimenez to qualify for the round of 16. The next opponent of the home team will be the winner in the match between England and the DRC Congo.
