Controversy! England's €120 million star caught speaking with his hand over his mouth to Argentine players three times, escapes red card, accused of double standards

On July 17, Beijing time, Argentine media outlet *Clarín* published a piece questioning why 27-year-old England midfielder Rice, who was witnessed covering his mouth while engaging in intense conversations with Argentine players three times during the semifinal, was not given a red card.

According to *Clarín*'s observations, Rice covered his mouth at least three times while interacting with Argentine players. The first instance occurred when he walked up to Argentine captain Messi, cupped his hand over his mouth, and uttered a few words. Messi responded by turning his head away, looking annoyed.

However, Messi did not react aggressively; he stayed calm and did not complain to the referee or demand that the opponent be punished. Argentine fans also noticed this and praised their captain for handling the tense situation with composure.

After that, Rice was seen in two similar situations. One was when he again covered his mouth while talking to Enzo, who had equalized for Argentina; the other occurred during an on-field argument with Mac Allister, where he made the same gesture.

Although the referee did not penalize Rice during the match, and there is no evidence that the €120 million midfielder made any offensive remarks, the repeated occurrence of this gesture has reignited discussions about FIFA's new regulations.

Those regulations state that if a player covers their mouth while arguing with an opponent, the referee can send them off based on the specific rules of the tournament.

This initiative originated from a confrontation between Vinícius Jr. and Prestianni in a Champions League match. FIFA President Gianni Infantino publicly supported this decision.

In this World Cup, Paraguay's Almirón and Ecuador's defender Hincapié were both sent off for covering their mouths while talking to opponents—Almirón in the group stage against Turkey, and Hincapié in the knockout stage against Mexico.

Yet Rice, after three instances of covering his mouth while speaking to Argentine players, received no punishment. This has led Argentine media to feel that FIFA is clearly applying double standards in enforcing the rules.