Miguel Almirón became the first player to be sent off for covering his mouth and speaking during an altercation when he was shown a red card in Paraguay’s 2026 FIFA World Cup Group D match against Türkiye on Friday.
He was sent off in the third minute of added time in the first half. Almirón covered his mouth and appeared to speak to Türkiye right back Mert Muldur. After a short VAR review by Salvadoran referee Ivan Barton, he received a red card.
The Atlanta United midfielder was dismissed following a new law passed by the IFAB which states that “any player covering their mouth in a confrontational situation with an opponent may be sanctioned with a red card.”
The rule had been brought in to stop potential racist comments being hidden from view, after a controversial incident involving Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni and Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior in the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League.
Per the new law, if the conversation is in a friendly context, players can cover their mouths. But as soon as there is any hint of confrontation, it’s an automatic red card.
This is Paraguay’s third ever red card in FIFA World Cup history. The previous two were in 2002 (Carlos Paredes and Roberto Acuña). This is also the seventh red card this tournament, the most in a World Cup since 2014 (10).
Earlier, Matias Galarza scored the 2026 edition’s fastest goal when he smashed one home from range with the clock reading 1:04. That ended up being the winner, as 10-men Paraguay held on for a 1-0 win. The result means Türkiye are now eliminated from contention to make the knockout stages of the 2026 World Cup.
ESPN’s Global Research Team contributed to this report.
