Miguel Almirón was sent off for Paraguay after covering his mouth during a heated argument with a Turkish player. Paraguay’s Miguel Almirón was shown a straight red card during his team’s Matchday 2 Group D fixture against Turkey at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium. The ejection came after the midfielder covered his mouth while exchanging words with an opponent.
Under strict new regulations implemented by FIFA ahead of this World Cup, any player who intentionally covers their mouth while arguing with an opponent or an official is subject to an automatic red card.
This marks the tournament’s very first ejection under the newly ratified FIFA disciplinary guidelines. The mandate was originally introduced following a high-profile controversy between Vinícius Jr and Gianluca Prestianni.
In that incident, the Brazilian forward accused the Argentine of using racial slurs while deliberately covering his mouth. The act shielded Prestianni from television cameras and made lip-reading impossible, leaving officials without definitive video evidence.
Paraguay’s Miguel Almirón is sent off with a red card 🟥 pic.twitter.com/adQyHF296s— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 20, 2026
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