Paraguayan international Miguel Almirón made unwanted history during his nation's World Cup group stage match against Turkey, becoming the first player to be shown a red card for covering his mouth while addressing an opponent. The incident, which occurred just before half-time in San Francisco, saw the 32-year-old obscure his mouth with his hand while speaking to Turkey's Mert Muldur, who promptly alerted a nearby official.
Following a review by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR), El Salvadorian referee Ivan Barton confirmed the dismissal of the former Newcastle United winger. The decision left Paraguay with ten men for over half of the match, though they ultimately held on to secure a vital 1-0 victory. This outcome puts them in a strong position to qualify for the last 32, needing a win against Australia in their final group fixture.
The new rule, which is being implemented for the first time at this World Cup, was introduced after a special meeting of the International Football Association Board (Ifab) in Vancouver in April. FIFA president Gianni Infantino had previously expressed support for such a punishment, suggesting referees should operate under the 'presumption' that players might be saying 'something they shouldn't have'. The ultimate decision to issue a red card remains at the referee's discretion, taking all circumstances into account.
Paraguay coach Gustavo Alfaro did not contest Almirón's dismissal, stating after the game, "According to the law, if you cover your mouth you're sent off. Red card. There's nothing I can do about that." Alfaro also revealed that Almirón had apologised to his teammates for his error, acknowledging the difficult situation he had created. Despite the setback, Alfaro praised his team's fighting spirit, noting it was their first World Cup finals appearance since 2010.
This is not the first time Almirón has fallen foul of new regulations or VAR at the tournament. In Paraguay's opening group match against the United States, he was initially awarded a free-kick after a foul by US defender Tim Ream. However, a VAR review subsequently deemed Almirón to have dived, resulting in a yellow card for simulation instead.