Piero Hincapié sent off for covering mouth at World Cup 2026
Ecuador defender Piero Hincapié became the second player at the tournament to be sent off for hiding his lips during a confrontation.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Author: Bryan Berlin
Arsenal and Ecuador defender Piero Hincapié has become the latest player to fall foul of a strict new FIFA regulation. The 24-year-old was sent off during the match against Mexico, which ended in a 0:2 defeat and Ecuador's elimination from the 2026 World Cup.
The incident occurred in stoppage time when Hincapié was seen emotionally confronting Mexico forward Santiago Giménez while covering his mouth. Although referee Slavko Vinčić initially missed the action, a VAR intervention and subsequent pitch-side review led to a straight red card.
The rule was introduced by IFAB following a scandal involving Gianluca Prestianni and Vinícius Júnior. FIFA President Gianni Infantino has championed the measure, suggesting that intentionally hiding one's mouth during a dispute implies intent to say something inappropriate.
Hincapié is only the second player to be penalized under this rule at the current tournament, following Miguel Almirón. FIFA's head of refereeing Pierluigi Collina has previously stated that the final decision rests with the match official, who must evaluate the context of the interaction before issuing a card.