Miguel Almiron becomes first player sent off for covering mouth at World Cup

Miguel Almiron became the first player to receive a red card for covering his mouth during an on-field confrontation at a World Cup, dismissed via VAR review in first-half stoppage time during Paraguay's match against Turkey on June 20, 2026. Almiron had covered his mouth while speaking to Turkey's Mert Muldur, falling foul of a rule introduced following controversy involving Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni and Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr in a Champions League game in February. Despite playing with ten men, Paraguay held on to win the match 1-0.