- Argentina captain Lionel Messi attempted to have Marc Cucurella sent off during 2026 FIFA World Cup final against Spain
- The Barcelona legend appealed to referee Slavko Vincic deep into stoppage time, but the Slovenian official waved away his protests
- Paraguay’s Miguel Almiron became the first player to be sent off under the new law during his side’s clash with Turkey in the group stage
Argentina captain Lionel Messi appealed for Spain defender Marc Cucurella to be sent off during the closing stages of the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, but referee Slavko Vincic rejected the request.
The incident occurred deep into stoppage time after Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez was shown a second yellow card and sent off, triggering a heated exchange between players from both teams.
Source: Getty Images
Messi’s appeal turned down
As tempers flared, Marc Cucurella was seen briefly covering his mouth while speaking to another player.
Messi immediately drew the referee’s attention to the gesture, believing it breached FIFA’s newly introduced “no covering the mouth” rule.
However, Vincic allowed play to continue, ruling that the incident did not warrant a red card.
Under FIFA’s updated regulations, players can be dismissed if they deliberately cover their mouths while engaging in a direct verbal confrontation with an opponent., per SPORTbible.
Match officials, however, determined that Cucurella’s action did not occur in a confrontational exchange as defined by the law. As a result, Spain completed the match with 11 players, while Messi’s protest was dismissed.
The decision reinforced FIFA’s position that referees must consider both the player’s action and the surrounding circumstances before applying the sanction.
FIFA has already enforced the rule
Ecuador defender Piero Hincapie and Paraguay captain Miguel Almiron were both sent off after covering their mouths while confronting opponents.
Almiron became the first player dismissed under the new directive during Paraguay’s group-stage victory over Turkey and later served a suspension after FIFA confirmed the decision could not be appealed.
A similar appeal was made in Argentina’s semifinal against England, when Leandro Paredes urged referee Ismail Elfath to punish Harry Kane for briefly covering his mouth while speaking, per Yahoo Sports.
That request was also rejected, further underlining FIFA’s distinction between incidental gestures and conduct considered confrontational under the new law.
Ballon d’Or latest ranking after World Cup final
Legit.ng earlier reported that Spain are the 2026 FIFA World Cup winners after beating Argentina 1-0 thanks to Ferran Torres’ extra-time goal at the New York New Jersey Stadium.
The Ballon d’Or would now be heavily tilted towards the Barcelona attacker after playing a crucial role in helping La Roja secure their second World Cup.
Source: Legit.ng