Almiron sent off under new mouth-covering rule at World Cup
Paraguay beat Turkiye 1-0 despite Miguel Almiron’s red card, but the midfielder will miss a decisive Group D match against Australia.
By Sofia Marchetti · World Affairs Correspondent
3 min read
Paraguay midfielder Miguel Almiron was sent off against Turkiye after breaching a new World Cup rule barring players from covering their mouths during on-field confrontations, Reuters reported. The dismissal matters for Paraguay’s campaign because Almiron will be suspended for the team’s final Group D match against Australia on June 22.
Almiron received the red card before half-time in Friday’s match at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, according to Reuters. Paraguay played the rest of the game with 10 men but still won 1-0, keeping its World Cup hopes alive while eliminating Turkiye.
The rule was proposed by FIFA and approved by the International Football Association Board in April, Reuters reported. It was introduced after Benfica player Gianluca Prestianni was accused of using discriminatory language toward Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr while covering himself with his shirt during a Champions League match.
Reuters reported that the referee stopped that Champions League game under UEFA’s anti-discrimination protocol. Prestianni denied the accusation, and UEFA later suspended him for six matches for discriminatory conduct it deemed homophobic.
Paraguay win despite red card
Almiron’s sending-off came in a tense match marked by repeated confrontations, Reuters reported. The former Newcastle United player became the first player at this World Cup to be dismissed under the new mouth-covering restriction.
After the match, Almiron posted on Instagram about Paraguay’s victory and praised his teammates’ effort, according to Reuters. He did not mention the red card in the post.
England defender Dan Burn, who played with Almiron at Newcastle, told Reuters that he believed the gesture may have been habitual for Almiron. Burn said players had been told about the rule at a pre-World Cup referees meeting, but added that some players may need time to stop doing something they have long done in matches.
Coach says rule was applied
Paraguay coach Gustavo Alfaro accepted that officials had applied the rule, Reuters reported. Alfaro said he told Almiron after the match not to feel guilty because Paraguay had won and because the incident had drawn more fight from his teammates.
Alfaro also said Almiron was upset because a player with his experience would know such incidents should not happen, according to Reuters. The coach said Paraguay would support the midfielder.
Paraguay entered the Turkiye match under pressure after losing 4-1 to co-hosts the United States in its opener, Reuters reported. The United States have already won the group.
The mouth-covering measure includes exceptions, such as when players are having friendly conversations with club teammates who are opponents in an international match, according to Reuters. Other rule changes introduced for the tournament include five-second countdowns on throw-ins and goal kicks, tighter timing for substituted players to leave the field, and a one-minute sideline wait for players treated on the pitch.
Alfaro told Reuters he feared some new measures could damage football’s character and said a yellow card would have been enough for Almiron. He warned against letting the sport become controlled too heavily by the rulebook.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.