Paraguay has lodged an official protest with FIFA following England’s goalless World Cup Group L encounter with Ghana, demanding action against Jude Bellingham.
The Real Madrid midfielder was observed placing his hand over his mouth whilst exchanging words with Ghanaian forward Jordan Ayew during the second half.
Despite FIFA’s new regulations making such conduct a straight red card offence, match officials permitted Bellingham to continue playing for 73 minutes without sanction.
The Paraguayan Football Association submitted its formal complaint on Wednesday, contending that the governing body has failed to apply the rule consistently across all competing nations at the tournament.
Jude Bellingham avoided being sent off because of the nature of his conversation | GETTY
The regulation was introduced ahead of the World Cup following a special meeting of The IFAB in April, which approved several amendments for the tournament.
FIFA’s decision to implement the rule came in the wake of Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni receiving a six-match suspension for directing homophobic abuse at Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr whilst concealing his mouth.
Under the new guidelines, any player caught covering their mouth during a confrontational exchange with an opponent faces immediate dismissal from the pitch.
The governing body has maintained that Bellingham escaped punishment because his interaction with Ayew was not deemed confrontational in nature.
Newcastle United’s Miguel Almiron holds the unwanted distinction of becoming the first footballer ever dismissed under the new regulation.
Jude Bellingham clashed with Ghana players during the closing stages of the first half during England’s World Cup clash on Tuesday night, with Thomas Tuchel forced to intervene | GETTY
The Paraguayan midfielder received his marching orders during his nation’s narrow victory over Turkey, with VAR officials reviewing the incident before confirming the red card.
His suspension means Almiron will miss Paraguay’s final group stage fixture against Australia, a match that could prove decisive for their tournament hopes.
Should the South American side fail to secure at least a point, their World Cup campaign would conclude prematurely, rendering Almiron’s sending-off his final contribution to the competition.
Miguel Almiron was sent off for Paraguay over the new rule | GETTY
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has publicly defended the regulation, stating: “This thing about covering the mouth is for us a very, very important rule. It’s about respect. It’s about the example that we should give. If you have nothing to hide, you don’t cover your mouth when you speak to somebody.”
The controversy has already claimed one casualty beyond the pitch.
Paraguayan commentator Jorge Vera had his World Cup accreditation revoked after branding Infantino and referee Ivan Barton as “thieves” during a live broadcast, accusing them of “killing football.”
England manager Thomas Tuchel declined to address the protest directly but voiced his support for Bellingham.
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