FIFA approve plans to introduce “Vinicius Junior law”

Real Madrid and Vinicius Junior have been widely spoken about in recent weeks, largely due to the ongoing case with Gianluca Prestianni, who has been accused of racially abusing the 25-year-old during the first leg of Los Blancos’ Champions League play-off tie victory over Benfica. The matter is still ongoing, with UEFA currently investigating the incident.

In the meantime, Prestianni has been suspended by UEFA, which meant he missed the second leg clash between the sides on Wednesday. Both he and Benfica have denied claims that he  called Vinicius a monkey, and with pitchside audio not picking up any of the dialogue between the players, it will be difficult for conclusive proof to be found.

The fact that Prestianni covered his mouth before talking to Vinicius means that lipreading also cannot be used, but this action is about to be clamped down upon by FIFA and IFAB. As per Diario AS, both organisations have agreed to curb racism by approving a ban on players covering their mouths when speaking to an opponent.

Law will be in place for 2026 World Cup

The law has been unofficially referred to as the “Vinicius law”. At the latest IFAB Assembly on Saturday, it was agreed to prohibit football players from using shirts or any other type of object, including the hand, to cover their mouth when addressing an opponent, with plans for this to be finalised as a new rule before this summer’s World Cup.

FIFA are serious about pushing back in the fight against racism, and this change is further proof of that. The move is likely to be welcomed by Real Madrid, who are continuing to back Vinicius amid the ongoing case that UEFA are looking into regarding Prestianni and the unsavoury scenes at the Estadio da Luz 12 days ago.