Miguel Almiron became the first player to be sent off for covering his mouth while speaking during an altercation, after receiving a red card in Paraguay’s 2026 FIFA World Cup Group D match against Türkiye on Friday, News.Az reports, citing ESPN.
The Paraguayan midfielder was shown the red card in the third minute of stoppage time at the end of the first half. The incident occurred after Almiron and Türkiye right-back Mert Müldür exchanged words following a foul near the halfway line.
Almirón covered his mouth while saying something to Müldür during the confrontation. The Türkiye defender immediately appealed to Salvadoran referee Iván Barton, calling for punishment.
Barton then reviewed the incident through video assistance and quickly decided that Almirón should be sent off.
The dismissal marked the first time a player had been shown a red card for covering his mouth while making comments during an on-field dispute.
Paraguay coach Gustavo Alfaro declined to comment on the red card decision, but admitted that at times during the match "it felt like everything was conspiring" against his team.
This is Paraguay's third red card in FIFA World Cup history. The previous two were in 2002 (Carlos Paredes and Roberto Acuña). This is also the seventh red card this tournament, the most in a World Cup since 2014 (10).
The match started with the fastest goal of the tournament, scored by Paraguay midfielder Matías Galarza with a long-range shot just 1:05 after the kickoff.
The goal proved to be the winner as 10-man Paraguay held on for a 1-0 victory, eliminating Türkiye from the World Cup.
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