Miguel Almiron, the Paraguay midfielder, on Saturday became the first-ever player to be shown a red card in the FIFA World Cup 2026 for covering his mouth. The incident happened during the Group D match between Paraguay and Turkey, and all hell broke loose at the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium after a late confrontation between the referee and Almiron in the first half of the contest. The incident occurred during stoppage time in the first half of the match between Paraguay and Turkey. It all started with Almiron and Turkey's Mert Mulder exchanging words following a foul near midfield.Miguel Almiron became the first player issued a red card at the World Cup for covering his mouth. (Getty Images via AFP)Almiron then covered his mouth while saying something to Mulder, prompting the latter to immediately appeal to referee Ivan Barton for punishment.Barton then went for a video review, during which it was confirmed that Almiron had indeed covered his mouth. The referee then issued a red card and ejected the midfielder under a new rule put in place specifically for the World Cup.Also Read: Algeria file official complaint with FIFA after referee doesn't show Lionel Messi red card: ‘Cannot remain silent’It is worth mentioning that FIFA President Gianni Infantino pushed for this new rule after Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni tried to hide verbal insults against Real Madrid's Vinícius Júnior during a Champions League game.What do the rules say?Before the start of the FIFA World Cup 2026, FIFA made it clear that any player who covers his mouth with a hand, arm or shirt during a confrontation with an opponent will be punished with a red card.The rule was introduced to prevent potential racist comments from being hidden from view. The new change was introduced after the incident involving Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni and Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior in the UEFA Champions League."At the discretion of the competition organiser, any player covering their mouth in a confrontational situation with an opponent may be sanctioned with a red card, the official FIFA website stated.However, a red card would not be issued when players cover their mouths while having friendly conversations with teammates from opposing clubs.Speaking of the match between Paraguay and Turkey, the contest began with Matias Galarza smashing a goal in just 64 seconds. The goal, assisted by Julio Enciso, marked the tournament's fastest goal so far and Paraguay's quickest since 1998. This goal was enough for Paraguay to eke out a 1-0 win over Turkey.This was the second defeat in a row over Turkey after the side lost against Australia in their tournament opener.