FIFA President Gianni Infantino has proposed tougher disciplinary measures against players who cover their mouths with their hands or clothing during on-field communication. He made the announcement in an interview with Sky News amid the scandal involving Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior.

"If a player covers his mouth with his hand and says something with racist undertones, he should obviously be sent off. We have to assume he said something he shouldn't have, otherwise he wouldn't have to cover his mouth," Infantino said.

The discussion was sparked by an incident that occurred on February 17 in the first leg of the Champions League playoffs between Real Madrid and Portuguese side Benfica (1-0). The match was interrupted for almost 10 minutes after Vinicius got into an altercation with Benfica midfielder Gianluca Prestianni, accusing his opponent of racist insults. During the confrontation, Prestianni covered his mouth with a T-shirt. The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Disciplinary Committee later suspended the Benfica player from the return match, finding his actions to be in violation of Article 14 of the Disciplinary Regulations, which concerns discriminatory conduct.

According to sources, the International Football Association Board (IFAB), which is responsible for changes to the Laws of the Game, may consider the relevant amendments and approve them before the start of the 2026 World Cup.

Furthermore, the FIFA president proposed introducing a system of lenient penalties for footballers who publicly admit guilt and apologize for their misconduct. Currently, racist remarks during a match carry a minimum suspension of ten games.