SOCCER: Paraguay's Almiron sent off for covering his mouth with his hand against Turkey

Paraguay's Miguel Almiron became the first player sent off under FIFA's new World Cup rule prohibiting players from covering their mouths during confrontations. The red card, upheld by VAR, came during Paraguay's Group D match against Turkey.

Reuters

June 20, 2026

SOCCER: Paraguay's Almiron sent off for covering his mouth with his hand against Turkey

Soccer Football - FIFA World Cup 2026 - Group D - Turkey v Paraguay - San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, Santa Clara, California, U.S. - June 19, 2026 Paraguay's Miguel Almiron clashes with Turkey's Mert Muldur before being shown a red card by referee Ivan Barton

Darren Yamashita/Reuters

Paraguay midfielder Miguel Almiron was given a straight red card for covering his mouth in a confrontation with Turkey's Mert Muldur on Friday in the first instance of the new rule being applied at the World Cup.

Almiron was sent off in first-half stoppage time after the exchange, with the dismissal confirmed by VAR as Paraguay led 1-0 in the Group D match.

Players who cover their mouths with their hand, arm or shirt in confrontational situations receive a red card. The rule came into effect after Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni was accused of making discriminatory slurs to Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr with his mouth covered.

-Reporting by Ian Ransom; Editing by Toby Davis/Reuters