In a tense end to the match, Ecuadorian defender Piero Hincapié saw a direct red card after a VAR review in the round of 32 duel between Mexico and Ecuador.
The action occurred in the last minutes of the match, when Mexico won 2-0 at the Mexico City Stadium. Hincapié covered his mouth while exchanging words with Santiago Giménez, in a confrontation that was reviewed by the referee on the VAR monitor.
The decision was based on the new guideline applied in the 2026 World Cup, which allows players who cover their mouth in a provocative, derogatory or inflammatory situation during an argument with a rival to be sanctioned with a red card. The measure seeks to prevent possible discriminatory or aggressive comments from being hidden.
Hincapié thus became the second player expelled for this reason in the 2026 World Cup. The first was Paraguayan Miguel Almirón, who received the red card during a group stage match against Turkey, also after covering his mouth in a confrontation.
The case once again put the spotlight on a rule that has generated debate during the tournament. Although covering the mouth was a common practice among footballers to prevent lip reading, FIFA and IFAB have tightened the criteria when the gesture occurs in the middle of disputes with rivals.
The expulsion left Ecuador with 10 players at the end of the match and ended up complicating their chances against a Mexico that already had a two-goal lead.
Mexico won 2-0 and advanced to the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup, while Ecuador was eliminated on a night marked by the initial delay due to a thunderstorm, goals from Julián Quiñones and Raúl Jiménez, and the red card for Hincapié in the final minutes.