Paraguays Almiron Sent Off for Covering Mouth During World Cup Match

Paraguay’s Miguel Almiron Receives First Red Card at World Cup Under New FIFA Rule

In a Group D match against Turkey, Paraguay player Miguel Almiron became the first player to be sent off at the World Cup for violating a new rule that prohibits covering one’s mouth during on-field confrontations. The incident occurred under the cover of his hand, but the exact words exchanged between Almiron and Turkish player Mert Muldur are unclear.

The FIFA-proposed law, approved by the International Football Association Board in April, was introduced after Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni was accused of making discriminatory slurs to Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr during a Champions League game. Prestianni denied the accusation and received a six-match suspension from UEFA.

Almiron’s red card before half-time left Paraguay with 10 men to face an entire half of Turkish attacks. Despite this, Paraguay secured a stunning 1-0 victory in the San Francisco Bay Area, which kept their World Cup campaign alive and condemned Turkey to an early exit.

The dismissal means Almiron will miss Paraguay’s decisive final Group D match against Australia on June 22. In a post-match Instagram message, Almiron thanked his teammates for their efforts, but made no mention of his red card.

England defender Dan Burn, who played with Almiron at Newcastle, noted that the rule may take time for players to get used to. “It’s going to take a little while for some players to get out of the habit of doing it,” he said.

Paraguay coach Gustavo Alfaro accepted the rules had been applied and praised his team’s fighting spirit. The new measure has exceptions, such as allowing players to cover their mouths during friendly conversations with club teammates on opposing teams.

Source: Al Jazeera