Paraguay midfielder Miguel Almiron became the first player sent off under FIFA's new mouth-covering rule at the World Cup, receiving a red card in first-half stoppage time of Friday's Group D match against Turkey. Paraguay held on with 10 men and won 1-0, a result that clinched first place in the group for the United States. Almiron faces a mandatory one-match suspension for Paraguay's upcoming fixture against Australia, with The Athletic placing the team's overall advancement probability at 84%.
The Infraction and the Rule
The incident occurred near midfield following a foul, when Almiron and Turkey's Mert Mulder exchanged words. Almiron covered his mouth while speaking to Mulder; Mulder appealed instantly. Referee Ivan Barton went to video review and issued the red card under a rule FIFA rolled out specifically for this tournament, granting officials authority to eject players who cover their mouths during confrontations with opponents.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino drove the regulation's adoption after Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni used the gesture to conceal verbal insults directed at Real Madrid's Vinícius Júnior in a Champions League match. Coach Gustavo Alfaro acknowledged no avenue for appeal: the rule is explicit, and Almiron's card stands.
What the Suspension Means for Paraguay
Almiron's automatic ban removes him from Paraguay's group-stage decider against Australia. The winner of that match clinches second place in Group D; the loser's survival depends on third-place finishes across other groups. Paraguay's 84% advancement probability, per The Athletic, leaves the door open for elimination — narrow, but not closed.
Almiron's Second Booking Under New Rules This Tournament
Friday was not Almiron's first collision with the World Cup's updated rulebook. In the opening group match against the United States, video review overturned a yellow card issued to U.S. defender Tim Ream and redirected it to Almiron for diving. Two matches in, Almiron has been carded twice under new laws — each time after video review — making him the most consequential test case of FIFA's enforcement experiment so far.