Lead

Paraguay midfielder Miguel Almiron was sent off in first-half stoppage time for covering his mouth while speaking to an opponent, becoming the first player to be dismissed under a new FIFA rule introduced for the 2026 World Cup. The incident occurred during Paraguay's 1-0 Group D win against Turkey in Santa Clara, California, on Friday.

Almiron, a former Newcastle United player, was shown a straight red card by referee Ivan Barton after a VAR review. He appeared to direct a comment at Turkey's Mert Muldur while hiding his mouth, a violation of the rule FIFA announced in April that allows match officials to eject players who cover their mouths during confrontations with players from other teams.

Coverage comparison

The sending-off was reported consistently across multiple outlets, all noting that Almiron's dismissal was the first application of the rule in a competitive international. ABC Australia described the incident in the context of a 'mild melee' that saw players from both sides come together, with Muldur wheeling away to speak to the assistant referee. Al Jazeera and Dawn both highlighted that Almiron was leading 1-0 at the time of the dismissal.

The rule itself was widely contextualized as a response to an incident involving Benfica striker Gianluca Prestianni and Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior during a Champions League match in February. Prestianni was accused of racially abusing Vinicius, denied the accusation, but was later banned for six matches—with three suspended—for what UEFA described as homophobic conduct.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has been a prominent supporter of the new law. In remarks reported by both RFI and Dawn, Infantino said in March: "If you do not have something to hide, you don't hide your mouth when you say something. That's it, as simple as that."

Key claims

Paraguay played the entire second half with 10 men but held on to secure the victory, which eliminated Turkey from the tournament. The win also confirmed co-hosts United States as winners of the group, with the US set to play their last-32 knockout game in Santa Clara.

Almiron's dismissal means he will miss Paraguay's final group match against Australia. Al Jazeera reported that FIFA confirmed on Tuesday that Almiron received a one-match suspension and that the decision was not subject to appeal. Al Jazeera also reported that journalist Jorge Chipi Vera was stripped of his World Cup credentials after criticizing the red card on air.

Paraguay coach Gustavo Alfaro accepted that the rules had been applied, as reported by Al Jazeera. England defender Dan Burn, who played with Almiron at Newcastle, was quoted by Dawn as saying he thought the gesture was "more habit" with Almiron, having seen him do it often over the years.

Beyond the mouth-covering rule, ABC Australia reported several other law changes introduced for this World Cup, including a 5-second countdown for goal kicks and throw-ins, a 10-second countdown for substituted players to leave the field, a requirement for players to leave the field after receiving medical treatment, and the expansion of VAR to review clearly unjustified second yellow cards. These changes, FIFA said in a statement, were aimed at combating discrimination, reducing time-wasting, improving the tempo of matches, and enhancing the experience of players and fans.

Matias Galarza scored after 64 seconds to register the earliest goal at the 2026 tournament, as reported by RFI.

Perspectives

FIFA/Infantino: FIFA President Gianni Infantino has been a prominent supporter of the new rule, arguing that players have no reason to hide their mouths if they have nothing to hide.

Paraguay coach Gustavo Alfaro: Alfaro accepted that the rules had been applied, without further elaboration.

England defender Dan Burn: Burn, who knows Almiron personally from their time together at Newcastle, suggested the gesture was habitual rather than intentional, saying "I've seen him do that a lot over the years in games."