By Edgardo Avelar
When the entire football environment was waiting for the mystery to finally be revealed, Santiago Gimenez He decided to keep the lock. The forward of the Mexico team He refused to break a “court code” when questioned about the words that Ecuadorian Piero Hincapié addressed to him, which They triggered a controversial expulsion in the last 2026 World Cup.
During a press conference with one of his sponsors, the AC Milan attacker was surprised by a direct question from a child, who wanted to know What happened in the final minutes of that rough match held at the Azteca Stadium.
?A child dared to ask him what we all wanted to know.
During an event in Mexico, Santi Giménez was questioned about the tense moment with Piero Hincapié in the match against Ecuador.
Giménez surprised with his response and revealed the confession that the player? pic.twitter.com/qk8vwm3yOd— FARÁNDULA NEWS (@MasFarandulaOf) July 18, 2026
“Bebote”’s response was blunt, appealing to the old school mystique of football:
“Everyone asks me the same thing, but I don’t know if you’re old enough to know what he told me. The reality is that among footballers we have codes and what happens on the field stays on the field. I know that maybe if I tell you here it will go viral and break a code, so I can’t say it, sorry.”
The controversial expulsion and the “Prestianni Law”
The incident in question occurred on June 30 in the stoppage minutes (90+5′) of the direct elimination match between Mexico and Ecuador. After a bitter disagreement caused by the frustration of the result, the Ecuadorian defender – today an Arsenal star – He faced Giménez, covering his mouth with his hand to prevent the cameras from reading his lips..
YesHowever, the whistler did not hesitate to strictly apply the “Prestianni Law.” This new FIFA regulation severely penalizes footballers who use insults or unsportsmanlike expressions while trying to hide their gestures by covering their mouth, which caused Hincapié to see the red card immediately.
SANTI GIMÉNEZ FINALLY BREAK THE SILENCE! ????
What did Hincapié tell you?” Technology the question that everyone was asking after the controversial expulsion of the Ecuadorian in the match against Mexico due to the famous “Prestianni Law”. The Mexican forward finally responded and clarified what do I know? pic.twitter.com/NHgW1c9vfI
— Fifth Party (@quintopartidoof) July 18, 2026
A complicated World Cup for Giménez
Santiago Giménez’s discretion off the courts contrasts with how complex his performance was on them during the summer tournament. Under the management of Javier Aguirre, his participation was extremely limited, recording few minutes coming off the bench against rivals such as South Korea, the Czech Republic, England and the aforementioned Ecuador.
The exact moment of the controversy: the Ecuadorian Piero Hincapié covered his mouth to face and throw words at Santiago Giménez, a gesture that cost him dearly, since he ended up being expelled from the match for said action. ?? #Mexico pic.twitter.com/eowhGcqymw
— FARÁNDULA NEWS (@MasFarandulaOf) July 1, 2026
Despite taking this secret “to the grave,” the striker seeks to turn the page on the questions and focus completely on the start of his vacation season, before reporting to AC Milan to face a new campaign in Italy’s Serie A.
Continue reading:
– Santiago Giménez with more obstacles at Milan when signing the Portuguese Gonçalo Ramos
– What happened to Santi Giménez? The severity of his injury is already known after the match against England
– Santiago Giménez could change scene in Italy
