Miguel Almiron has become the first player sent off at the World Cup for violating FIFA’s strict new prohibition against covering the mouth during on-field confrontations. The incident occurred Friday in Santa Clara, California, when the former Newcastle United midfielder obscured his face while speaking to Turkey’s Mert Muldur. The dismissal left Paraguay with ten men for the entire second half.
This regulation was ratified by the International Football Association Board in April following discriminatory incidents in European club football. While Almiron will now miss Paraguay’s decisive Group D match against Australia on June 22, his team secured a stunning 1-0 victory that eliminated Turkey from tournament contention.
Paraguay coach Gustavo Alfaro accepted the official ruling but questioned the severity of the punishment. Alfaro stated that a yellow card would have sufficed and warned that excessive regulation risks stripping football of its essential character. Despite the controversy, Almiron publicly thanked his teammates for their resilience in securing the critical win.