For some yes, for others no: Jude Bellingham spoke with his mouth covered and was not sent off like Miguel Almirón

The draw between England and Ghana in the 2026 World Cup left much more than an unexpected result. While the main news was that Thomas Tuchel's team could not get past 0-0 against an African side that defended well and took advantage of the speed of its attackers to complicate one of the title contenders, the result quickly took a back seat to an action involving Jude Bellingham.

During the match held in Boston, cameras captured the English midfielder covering his mouth while having an exchange with Jordan Ayew. The image quickly went viral and reignited the debate over the application of one of the most discussed rules recently implemented by FIFA: the "Prestianni Law".

The controversy arose because days earlier the Paraguayan Miguel Almirón had been sent off with a direct red card in the match between Paraguay and Turkey for an action considered similar. On that occasion, the player became the first to be sanctioned under the regulation that penalizes conversations with opponents made while covering the mouth to avoid being caught by cameras with a direct expulsion.

Despite the visual similarities between both episodes, Honduran referee Said Martínez decided not to sanction Bellingham. According to his interpretation, the conversation did not show signs of offensive conduct nor justified a disciplinary measure. The current regulation precisely contemplates that margin of analysis, as it does not automatically require punishing the gesture, but also considers the context and the intention of the protagonists.