Paraguay beat Turkey 1-0 on Friday night in a match that produced a World Cup first, after forward Miguel Almiron was shown a straight red card solely for covering his mouth during an exchange. The new rule, introduced in April as part of FIFA’s anti-racism drive, had been put in place after complaints that players could hide abusive remarks from lip-readers, including an incident involving Vinicius Junior and Gianluca Prestianni in the Champions League.
The sending-off came after Paraguay’s Isidro Pitta went down injured and players from both sides confronted each other. As Almiron walked past Turkey defender Mert Muldur, he briefly raised his hand over his face. Muldur immediately drew referee Ivan Barton’s attention, Barton consulted the VAR monitor, and then issued Almiron a straight red card. There was no claim or indication that Almiron had made any racist comment.
Almiron, 32, said on social media Saturday that he was proud of his teammates and grateful for their effort. He wrote, “I want to thank the effort of my teammates today, who left everything on the pitch for every ball. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Great pride to be part of this team.” He posted the message with a photo of Paraguay players celebrating the hard-fought win.
The dismissal may have serious consequences. Almiron is suspended for Paraguay’s final group game against Australia on Thursday, and because Paraguay are still fighting for a place in the round of 32, it could have been his last match of the tournament. Before kickoff, officials had already briefed all teams on the rule change and warned that covering the mouth during a confrontation could bring an immediate red card. FIFA refereeing chief Pierluigi Collina said in June that friendly conversations were still allowed, but in a confrontation “it is a completely different story” and covering the mouth suggests “something that may be very serious.” Turkey, who had already lost 2-0 to Australia, were eliminated after the defeat, while fans online criticized the controversial decision and accused their players of “snitching.”
