Paraguay has submitted an official protest to FIFA, demanding a suspension for England midfielder Jude Bellingham.
The complaint stems from an incident during a goalless World Cup match against Ghana in Boston.
According to reports from The Sun, the South American nation argued that Bellingham violated the tournament's newly established anti-discrimination regulations, known as the 'Vinicius Law'.
The law states that a red card is shown to players covering their mouths in instances of confrontation to prevent concealment of abusive language.
This follows a recent incident where Paraguayan forward Miguel Almiron received a red card and a one-match ban for covering his mouth during a confrontation with Turkey defender Mert Muldur.
However, FIFA refereeing chief Pierluigi Collina previously clarified that players remain free to cover their mouths during amicable interactions.
Match officials found no evidence of aggression between Bellingham and Ayew.
Former England international Kyle Walker addressed the growing controversy in his latest column.
"I see there's a lot of talk about Jude Bellingham and whether he risks being sent off.
Questions have been raised about him covering his mouth to speak, which is now a red-card offense, and he has to be careful," warned Walker.
Walker highlighted that players frequently use the gesture to protect tactical discussions but urged the squad to remain vigilant.
"It's something players naturally do—I used to do it myself—but everyone has to be aware of the new rules."
Walker also noted a small altercation with the Ghana bench but defended Bellingham's competitive nature.
"He also had a small altercation with the Ghana bench, but you can't take that edge away from Jude; he plays right on the limit, and that's what makes him so exceptional."
Walker concluded by praising the midfielder's character. "He plays with his heart on his sleeve, but he needs to be smart with his head.
He can't go too far.
People may have the wrong idea about Jude, but I can assure you he's a class act within the squad."
Prior to the tournament, FIFA officials explicitly outlined how the anti-discrimination policy would be monitored.
"If the conversation is a friendly conversation, they can continue to do it without any problem," said Collina.
He emphasized that disciplinary sanctions would be reserved for situations where players use the gesture to mask hostile language.
"When the conversation is confrontational, covering the mouth means that you are doing something very wrong, potentially, and the sanction is the red card."
In addition to the mouth-covering dispute, Bellingham faced scrutiny after a half-time confrontation with Ghana manager Carlos Queiroz and his backroom staff.
England manager Thomas Tuchel defended his player during the post-match press conference. "It was an exchange of emotions, and Jude stood up for himself and his team."
Tuchel stated that competitive tension remains an inherent part of tournament football but warned against unnecessary distractions.
"Emotions are a part of the game but we don't want to get distracted with stuff that could distract us."
Ghana manager Carlos Queiroz expressed dissatisfaction with the midfielder's conduct. "He had a bad reaction with some bad names and that's why the story started."
Bellingham, who was named player of the match despite expressing personal dissatisfaction with his performance, later explained his perspective to the BBC.
"It was just when I made a silly tackle, to be honest."
He noted that his interaction with the opposition bench stemmed from standard competitive drive.
"I was trying to try to win the ball, and I followed through a little bit and caught the lad.
I spoke to him after, and then their bench jumped up trying to get me a yellow card."
Bellingham acknowledged the award but felt his performance fell short. "I didn't deserve it, to be honest.
It probably should've gone to one of their lads who defended so well."
The draw keeps England at the top of Group L, with the team scheduled to face Panama on Saturday to secure qualification for the knockout round of 32.
