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One of the most controversial innovations of the 2026 World Cup continues to stir controversy. The rule that prohibits players from covering their mouths during on-field communication was first applied in the Turkey-Paraguay match, where Paraguayan Miguel Almiron became the first player to be sent off for this reason.
However, a similar situation in the match between England and Ghana did not result in the same decision from the referees. The protagonist of the episode was Jude Bellingham, who was seen covering his mouth during a conversation with Ghana captain Jordan Ayew, but was not punished.
The incident began after the England midfielder tackled Jerome Opoku in the dying minutes of the first half. After the final whistle of the match, Bellingham and Ghana coach Carlos Queiroz got into a heated argument. Players from both teams also intervened in the discussion, while photographers captured the moment when the England player was talking to Jordan Ayew while covering his mouth.
Despite this action, the refereeing team did not take any disciplinary action against the Real Madrid player. Bellingham returned to the field normally for the second half and was substituted in the 73rd minute.
Although the match ended in a 0-0 draw, the English midfielder was named man of the match. Bellingham himself stated after the match that the award, in his opinion, could have been given to a Ghanaian player.
At the end of the match, Carlos Queiroz commented on the episode, minimizing the tension between the parties.
"I had an ugly reaction, with some dirty words. My objective was to calm him down because I was worried that Opoku was not at 100% form. One extra word ignited the tension a little, but we clarified. Football is not dancing in a ballroom in a tuxedo, these are things that happen," said the Portuguese coach.
For his part, Bellingham admitted that he had committed an "idiotic" foul on his opponent, but stressed that he has great respect for Queiroz and that the episode was part of normal sporting rivalry.
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