FIFA Confirms Paraguay’s Almiron Red Card For Covering Mouth In Turkiye Match

Paraguay midfielder Miguel Almiron becomes the first victim of the newly approved FIFA rule which forbids players from covering their mouths during altercations on the pitch.

The infraction came during first-half stoppage time in the Group D match when Almiron and Mert Mulder exchanged words following a foul near midfield. Almiron covered his mouth while saying something to Mulder, who immediately appealed to referee Ivan Barton for punishment.

Barton went to video review and quickly ruled that Almiron would be given a red card and ejected under a new rule put in place for this year’s World Cup.

In an interview after the match, Paraguay coach Gustavo Alfaro said “According to the law, if you cover your mouth you’re sent off. Red card, there’s nothing I can do about that. Unfortunately, we can’t issue a new opinion on this.”

FIFA confirmed this on Saturday via a post on their X handle saying, “Following a VAR review in the FIFA World Cup match between Türkiye and Paraguay, Miguel Almirón was shown red card for covering his mouth.

Following a special meeting of The IFAB held in April, a number of amendments were introduced to be implemented at the FIFA World Cup 2026. This included a red card for any player in the tournament seen covering their mouth in a confrontational situation with an opponent.”