The International Football Association Board (IFAB) had announced in February that a consultation would be held on players covering their mouths, following an incident in the Champions League between Real Madrid and Benfica.

The incident involved Gianluca Prestianni and Vinicius Junior, who claimed Prestianni had made a racist comment after he covered his mouth. However, the words could not be proven due to Prestianni's hands blocking what was said.

Under the new rule, any player who covers their mouth in a confrontational situation with an opponent may be given a red card at the discretion of the competition organiser.

FIFA stated that the rule aims to prevent potentially racist comments from being hidden from view, even if the actual comment may not have been offensive.