Paraguay’s midfielder Miguel Almiron made headlines by becoming the first player to receive a red card for covering his mouth during a World Cup match. This incident occurred in a Group D encounter against Turkey on Friday night.
The red card was issued during stoppage time in the first half after Almiron and Turkey’s Mert Mulder exchanged words following a foul near midfield. Almiron was seen covering his mouth while speaking to Mulder, prompting Mulder to appeal to referee Ivan Barton. After a video review, Barton decided to issue a red card based on a new rule implemented for this year’s World Cup.
“According to the law, if you cover your mouth you’re sent off. Red card,” stated coach Gustavo Alfaro. “There’s nothing I can do about that. Unfortunately, we can’t issue a new opinion on this.”
Despite being down to ten players for the entire second half, Paraguay managed to hold onto their 1-0 lead for the win. Alfaro attempted to console Almiron after the match, emphasizing the team’s fighting spirit despite the setback.
“He apologized to the players for his mistake,” Alfaro mentioned. “He recognized the predicament he put his teammates in due to his actions. It happened, and we must move forward.”
The new rule, advocated by FIFA president Gianni Infantino, stemmed from an incident involving Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni during a Champions League match where he tried to conceal verbal insults. Alfaro expressed concern about the strictness of the rule, suggesting it might alter football’s essence.
“I fear we are too strict and football loses its essence,” Alfaro noted. “In football, there’s frictions, fights, clashes.”
Almiron will miss Paraguay’s final group stage match against Australia, a crucial game for second place in Group D. There is a possibility FIFA might extend his suspension, impacting potential knockout stage participation.
“I hope the penalty is he misses as few matches as possible,” Alfaro commented. “He was deeply affected by the incident.”
This was the second time Almiron faced carding under the new rule at the World Cup, having previously received a yellow card in a game against the United States after a video review.