Bellingham covers his mouth with his hand, why didn't the red card come for England star in Boston?

Following England's match against Ghana at the FIFA World Cup in Boston, a row erupted over Jude Bellingham's conduct on the pitch. Head coach Carlos Queiroz questioned the role of VAR, and after the match attention was drawn to a photograph showing Bellingham covering his mouth while speaking to an opponent.

The World Cup match between England and Ghana held in Boston produced several controversial moments that sparked debate both on and off the pitch.

Ghana's head coach Carlos Queiroz made no attempt to hide his disappointment, questioning the work of the video referee VAR during the match, saying that several dubious incidents had escaped proper scrutiny.

As the match ended, however, focus shifted to one particular photograph, the main subject of which is England international Jude Bellingham. The image shows Bellingham covering his mouth while speaking to an opponent, a gesture many interpreted as an attempt to hide what he was saying from lip readers.

The question posed by fans and commentators was straightforward: why did this conduct not result in a red card? According to football rules, insulting the referee or disrespectful behaviour can lead to disciplinary action, but the referee chose not to respond to the incident on this occasion.

The England versus Ghana match at the World Cup in Boston thus remained memorable not only for its sporting result, but also for such details that point to tensions between the teams and raise questions about referee consistency at the tournament.