June 20, 2026
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.
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