Miguel Almirón made unwanted history on Friday after becoming the first player to be sent off for covering his mouth while speaking during a confrontation, in Paraguay’s 2026 FIFA World Cup Group D clash against Türkiye.
The incident occurred in the third minute of first-half stoppage time after a midfield foul triggered a heated exchange between Almirón and Türkiye right-back Mert Müldür.
During the argument, the Paraguayan midfielder covered his mouth while speaking, prompting Müldür to immediately appeal to Salvadoran referee Iván Barton.
After a VAR review, Barton upgraded the incident to a red card, with officials applying a newly introduced rule under the International Football Association Board.
The law states that “any player covering their mouth in a confrontational situation with an opponent may be sanctioned with a red card.”
The regulation was introduced to prevent potentially discriminatory remarks from being concealed during on-field disputes, following a controversial episode involving Gianluca Prestianni and Vinícius Júnior during the 2025–26 UEFA Champions League season.
Under the same rule, players are still permitted to cover their mouths in non-confrontational situations, but once tension escalates, it is treated as an offence worthy of dismissal.
Paraguay head coach Gustavo Alfaro chose not to directly challenge the decision afterward, though he suggested his side often felt circumstances were working against them.
“It felt like everything was conspiring,” he said.
The dismissal marked Paraguay’s third red card in World Cup history, following earlier cases in 2002 involving Carlos Paredes and Roberto Acuña.
It was also the seventh red card of the tournament, the highest tally since the 2014 edition, which saw 10.
Earlier in the match, Paraguay struck almost instantly when midfielder Matías Galarza scored after just 65 seconds with a long-range effort, the fastest goal of the competition so far.
That early strike ultimately decided the contest, as Paraguay held firm with 10 men to secure a 1–0 win that ended Türkiye’s hopes of progressing at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
