Miguel Almiron made World Cup history for all the wrong reasons. The Paraguayan attacking midfielder was sent off during the Turkey-Paraguay match in Group D of the 2026 World Cup for covering his mouth with his hand while speaking to Mert Müldür. The incident occurred in first-half stoppage time. Paraguay were leading 1-0 thanks to an early goal from Matías Galarza, scored in the 2nd minute. In a tense exchange between several players, Almiron addressed the Turkish defender while covering his mouth. The gesture was flagged and then reviewed by VAR.
Direct red card after VAR intervention
Referee Ivan Barton initially allowed play to restart after awarding a foul to Paraguay. Moments later, he was called upon to review the footage. The replays showed Almiron covering his mouth during his exchange with Müldür. After reviewing the footage, Barton issued a red card. Almiron thus became the first player sent off in a World Cup for violating this new rule, which prohibits covering one's mouth during an exchange with an opponent.
Paraguay finishes with ten men, Turkey defeated
This expulsion forced Paraguay to play the entire second half with ten men. Despite this, the South Americans maintained their lead until the final whistle. Turkey lost 1-0 to Paraguay. Despite having a numerical advantage after the break, the Turks were unable to equalize. Galarza's goal was enough for Paraguay, who held on until the end after Almiron's red card. As a result, Turkey is eliminated from this World Cup.
A rule applied for the first time
The measure was adopted before the 2026 World Cup to prevent players from concealing their words during altercations. It specifically targets exchanges where insults or discriminatory remarks could be masked by lip-reading. The Almiron-Müldür case is the first concrete example of the application of this rule in a World Cup. A hand gesture, a VAR review, then a straight red card: the new directive immediately impacted the match.
