FIFA Considers Prestianni-Inspired Rule to Curb On-Field Insults

Zurich—A single flashpoint in Lisbon may soon reshape global football etiquette. After Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni and Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior clashed during their recent encounter, the Brazilian camp lodged a formal complaint alleging verbal abuse. The fallout has now reached FIFA’s headquarters, where president Gianni Infantino has personally requested an urgent review of disciplinary protocols.

Sky Sports reports that lawmakers are weighing what insiders are already calling the “Prestiani Law”: an amendment that would punish players who intentionally cover their mouths while directing insults at opponents. By shielding their lips from broadcast cameras, offenders currently exploit a loophole that makes proof of abusive language almost impossible. The proposed statute would close that gap, allowing match officials and retrospective video review panels to sanction gestures designed to conceal verbal misconduct.

Infantino’s directive, delivered in a strongly-worded letter to football’s rule-making body, insists the sport must “eradicate the culture of hidden provocation” before the 2026 campaign kicks off. Discussions are preliminary, but sources say a framework could be fast-tracked for ratification at next month’s IFAB meeting.

While legislators debate wording and penalty ranges, Prestianni’s own fate hangs in limbo. Benfica has submitted video and written material asserting the 18-year-old’s innocence, arguing no conclusive evidence supports the misconduct claim. Real Madrid, conversely, has forwarded supplementary footage to UEFA that the club believes corroborates Vinicius’s version of events. A disciplinary ruling is expected within days and could influence whether the Argentine prodigy misses forthcoming European fixtures.

If adopted, the regulation would mark one of the most visible shifts in on-field policing since the introduction of vanishing spray, signaling to players that even unseen transgressions carry tangible consequences.

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