Paraguay‘s Miguel Almirón was shown a straight red card during his team’s Matchday 2 Group D fixture against Turkey at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium. The ejection came after the midfielder covered his mouth while exchanging words with an opponent.
Under strict new regulations implemented by FIFA ahead of this World Cup, any player who intentionally covers their mouth while arguing with an opponent or an official is subject to an automatic red card. This marks the 2026 World Cup very first ejection under the newly ratified FIFA disciplinary guidelines.
The incident unfolded right before the halftime whistle, with the Albirroja holding a 1-0 lead courtesy of an opening goal from Matías Galarza. Following a hard foul that triggered a brief scuffle between both sets of players, Almirón exchanged words with a Turkish opponent.
In the heat of the argument, the Paraguayan midfielder brought his hand up to cover his mouth while speaking—instantly triggering the referee’s whistle and the historic red card.
What is the origin of the rule?
The mandate was originally introduced following a high-profile controversy between Vinícius Jr and Gianluca Prestianni during Real Madrid’s clash against Benfica at the Champions League.
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In that incident, the Brazilian forward accused the Argentine of using racial slurs while deliberately covering his mouth. The act helped Prestianni to hide his words from television cameras and made lip-reading impossible, leaving officials without definitive video evidence.
