Paraguay's Almiron becomes first player sent off under FIFA mouth-covering rule

SANTA CLARA: Paraguay midfielder Miguel Almiron became the first player to be dismissed under FIFA’s new rule banning players from covering their mouths during confrontations on the field.

Almiron was sent off in first-half stoppage time of Paraguay’s World Cup Group D match against Turkiye in Santa Clara, California, after he appeared to speak to Turkiye’s Mert Muldur while covering his mouth. The decision came after a VAR review, with Paraguay leading 1-0 at the time.

FIFA announced the rule in April, saying players who cover their mouths in confrontations with opponents will receive a red card. The governing body has said the measure, which is being introduced at the World Cup, forms part of a wider campaign against racism.

The move followed controversy in February during a Champions League game when Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni was accused of racially abusing Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior. Prestianni denied racially abusing Vinicius, but was later banned for six matches, with three of those suspended, for homophobic conduct. FIFA President Gianni Infantino backed the rule earlier this year, saying in March “If you do not have something to hide, you don’t hide your mouth when you say something. That’s it, as simple as that.”