Several months following the Africa Cup of Nations final, where the Senegal national football team triumphed over Morocco (1-0), FIFA President Gianni Infantino has delivered a crucial caution to national teams. This warning comes just weeks before the highly anticipated kick-off of the FIFA World Cup 2026, set to take place across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

The aforementioned CAN final was notably marked by significant refereeing controversy. Congolese referee Jean-Jacques Ndella awarded a penalty to Morocco shortly after a Senegalese goal had been disallowed. In response to these contentious decisions, the Senegalese players, under the guidance of coach Pape Thiaw, temporarily exited the field for approximately ten minutes before resuming play.

Ultimately, the match concluded with a victory for the Lions of Teranga, secured by a decisive goal from Pape Guèye, which earned Senegal its second continental title.

As the 2026 World Cup approaches, Gianni Infantino has underscored the strictness of regulations concerning team conduct on the pitch. He unequivocally stated, « From the World Cup, any team that decides to leave the field to protest against the refereeing will receive red cards and lose the match by forfeit! »

This clear message aims to prevent any similar incidents from occurring during the upcoming global football spectacle.