Arsenal defender Piero Hincapie has been sent off at the 2026 World Cup for covering his mouth during a heated exchange with Mexico striker Santiago Gimenez.
The 24-year-old's dismissal came in stoppage time of Ecuador's 2-0 last-32 defeat at the Estadio Azteca on Tuesday evening, bringing his nation's tournament to an abrupt end.
Julian Quinones and Raul Jimenez had already secured victory for the co-hosts when the incident unfolded in the dying moments.
Hincapie was spotted approaching Gimenez and placing his hand over his mouth whilst speaking to the AC Milan forward.
Piero Hincapie was sent off for putting his mouth over his hand
|GETTY
The confrontation prompted Gimenez to immediately alert Slovenian referee Slavko Vincic by mimicking a mouth-covering gesture.
Ecuador's elimination means Mexico advance to face either England or DR Congo in the last 16.
Vincic had not witnessed the incident himself but was advised by the video assistant referee to examine the footage on the pitchside monitor.
After reviewing the replays, the official had little option but to produce a red card, with the footage clearly showing Hincapie concealing his mouth whilst speaking directly into Gimenez's face.
The Arsenal centre-back becomes the second player at this tournament to fall foul of FIFA's new regulation targeting confrontational mouth-covering.
Piero Hincapie was sent off because of Fifa's new rule that prevents players from talking to others with their hands over their mouth
|GETTY
Paraguay's Miguel Almiron was the first to receive such a punishment, dismissed during his side's group stage victory over Turkey, though his team managed to hold on for a 1-0 win.
Notably, England's Jude Bellingham escaped sanction despite covering his mouth during a conversation with Ghana captain Jordan Ayew last week.
The regulation was formally adopted during a special meeting of the International Football Association Board in Vancouver this April.
FIFA's referees chief Pierluigi Collina outlined the distinction before the tournament began, explaining that players remain free to shield their mouths during amicable exchanges.
"When the conversation is confrontational, covering the mouth means that you are doing something very wrong, potentially, and the sanction is the red card," the Italian stated.
The rule emerged following a high-profile incident in February when Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni lifted his shirt whilst addressing Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr during a Champions League fixture.
The Argentine initially faced accusations of racist abuse, which he denied, and received a provisional one-match suspension.
A subsequent UEFA investigation found Prestianni guilty of homophobic conduct instead, resulting in a six-match ban with three games suspended.
The new rule was brought in after the incident involving Gianluca Prestianni and Vinicius Jr in the Champions League last season
| GETTYHincapie reacted with visible frustration to his dismissal, ripping off his wrist tape and storming from the pitch whilst refusing to shake hands with any opponents.
Former Premier League midfielder Jobi McAnuff voiced his support for the regulation during ITV's coverage.
"I'm all for this rule," McAnuff said. "At the end of the day, if you're covering your mouth, you're clearly saying something that you shouldn't be saying."
He added that Hincapie was "obviously saying something that he feels he doesn't want to be seen to be saying, which is why he's covered his mouth."
Another World Cup red card for a player covering their mouth! ❌
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) July 1, 2026
This time it's Arsenal and Ecuador's Piero Hincapie who is sent off for covering his mouth while talking to the opposition 😬 pic.twitter.com/ouPMYdMeAt
The defender had played a key role in Ecuador reaching the knockout rounds, particularly during their 2-1 triumph over Germany in their final group match.
Hincapie recently completed a permanent move to Arsenal from Bayer Leverkusen for approximately £34.5million following a successful loan spell.