Paraguay's Almiron sent off for covering his mouth with his hand against Turkey

New disciplinary rule stems from previous allegations involving concealed-mouth gestures

Football - FIFA World Cup 2026 - Group D - Turkey v Paraguay - San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, Santa Clara, California, US - June 19, 2026 Referee Ivan Barton shows a red card to Paraguay's Miguel Almiron REUTERS/Carlos Barria

Paraguay midfielder Miguel Almiron was given a straight red card for covering his mouth in a confrontation with Turkey's Mert Muldur on Friday in the first instance of the new rule being applied at the World Cup.

Almiron was sent off in first-half stoppage time after the exchange, with the dismissal confirmed by VAR as Paraguay led 1-0 in the Group D match.

Players who cover their mouths with their hand, arm or shirt in confrontational situations receive a red card. The rule came into effect after Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni was accused of making discriminatory slurs to Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr with his mouth covered.