Jude Bellingham’s hand-over-mouth gesture at the 2026 World Cup is causing fierce controversy, prompting the Paraguay national team to officially lodge a complaint with FIFA regarding the inconsistent application of rules.
The Paraguayan Football Association (APF) has officially submitted a complaint to FIFA, alleging inconsistency in the enforcement of the new regulation at the 2026 World Cup. At the center of the scandal is England midfielder Jude Bellingham, who was filmed covering his mouth during the 0-0 draw against Ghana in Group L on the morning of June 24 but did not face any punishment.
The incident erupted into a wave of fierce protest because just a few days earlier, Paraguay’s Miguel Almiron made history by becoming the first player to receive a straight red card for a similar offense in a narrow 1-0 victory over Turkey on June 20.
“The Vinicius Rule”, a regulation recently implemented by FIFA to tighten player conduct on the pitch, is being questioned for its fairness when applied between big and small teams. In the document sent to world football’s governing body, the Paraguayan side cited multiple situations where Bellingham violated the rule but was still overlooked by the referee. A source close to the APF asserted: “The rules of the game must be applied fairly to all teams, otherwise, all regulations will completely lose their legitimacy.”
Currently, images of Bellingham’s behavior are spreading at breakneck speed across social media platforms. Under pressure from public opinion and the official complaint, FIFA has confirmed it will open an investigation, reviewing the footage of both matches to deliver a final ruling.
