Paraguay winger, Miguel Almiron, has become the first player to be sent off under football’s new mouth-covering regulation after receiving a red card during his country’s World Cup group-stage victory over Turkey in San Francisco.
The dismissal marked the first application of the law at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, following its introduction by the International Football Association Board (IFAB) earlier this year.
Almiron, 32, was shown a straight red card shortly before half-time after covering his mouth with his hand while speaking to Turkey defender Mert Muldur during an on-field exchange.
Muldur immediately alerted a nearby match official, prompting referee Ivan Barton of El Salvador to consult the video assistant referee (VAR).
Following the review, Barton informed spectators of his decision before dismissing the former Newcastle United winger.
The incident occurred with Paraguay leading 1-0, forcing the South Americans to play the remainder of the match with 10 men.
Paraguay hold on
Despite losing one of their key attacking players before the interval, Paraguay maintained their lead throughout the second half to secure a narrow victory over Turkey.
The result strengthened Paraguay’s position in Group D and left them needing only a win over Australia in their final group match on Friday to guarantee qualification for the round of 32.
Turkey, meanwhile, suffered elimination from the tournament following the defeat despite controlling large spells of the contest.
First application of new law
The dismissal represents the first enforcement of a regulation introduced specifically to discourage players from concealing conversations with opponents or match officials.
The measure was approved during a special IFAB meeting held in Vancouver in April and came into effect in time for the expanded 2026 World Cup.
Under the law, referees have the authority to dismiss players if they deliberately cover their mouths while speaking during a match. However, the final decision remains entirely at the referee’s discretion after considering the circumstances of each incident.
Before the introduction of the rule, FIFA president, Gianni Infantino, had expressed support for tougher sanctions against players who conceal conversations on the field.
He said referees should work from a “presumption” that players have said, “something they shouldn’t have”.
Rule follows previous controversies
The issue of players covering their mouths during conversations gained prominence earlier this year following an incident in the UEFA Champions League involving Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni and Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr.
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During that match, Prestianni raised his shirt to conceal his mouth while speaking to the Brazilian international.
The Argentine winger was subsequently accused of racist abuse, allegations he denied. He was initially handed a provisional one-match suspension before UEFA concluded its investigation.
UEFA later found Prestianni guilty of homophobic conduct rather than racist abuse and imposed a six-match suspension, with three matches suspended.
The case became one of the examples cited during discussions over whether football authorities should introduce stricter measures to discourage concealed exchanges between players.
Almiron’s second brush with new regulations
The red card against Turkey was not the first time Almiron had been penalised under recently introduced changes to the Laws of the Game during this World Cup.
In Paraguay’s opening group fixture against the United States, the referee initially booked American defender Tim Ream for a challenge on Almiron.
However, following a VAR review, officials concluded that the Paraguayan had simulated the contact. The yellow card was overturned and instead issued to Almiron for diving.
That incident made him one of the earliest players to be sanctioned under football’s updated approach to simulation reviews, while his dismissal against Turkey has now placed him in the record books as the first player to receive a red card for breaching the mouth-covering regulation.
