The Paraguayan Football Association has lodged an official protest with FIFA, demanding sanctions against England midfielder Jude Bellingham, according to Mirror. The complaint centers on an incident during the group stage match between England and Ghana, where Bellingham covered his mouth with his hand while speaking to Ghanaian forward Jordan Ayew.
Paraguay argues that the tournament regulations have been applied inconsistently, pointing out that their own midfielder Miguel Almirón received a straight red card for a similar gesture in their match against Turkey. This rule was introduced by FIFA prior to the start of the competition.
Bellingham avoided being sent off on the field, as the refereeing team did not interpret his actions as a confrontational exchange with an opponent. Under the current regulations, a straight red card for covering the mouth with a hand is only issued when the gesture occurs during a clash or aggressive communication with an adversary.
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