Almirón Makes World Cup History With Bizarre Red Card
Miguel Almirón became the first player at the 2026 World Cup to be sent off for covering his mouth during a confrontation.
The Paraguay midfielder was shown a straight red card against Turkey after VAR spotted him covering his mouth while speaking to Mert Müldür before half-time.
FIFA’s new rule is designed to stop players hiding possible abusive or discriminatory comments during heated exchanges.
Paraguay were already leading 1-0 through Matías Galarza’s early goal when the incident happened.
Despite playing the rest of the match with 10 men, Paraguay held on to win 1-0, while Turkey were eliminated from the tournament.
It was one of the strangest red cards in World Cup history — not for a tackle, not for violent conduct, but for a hand over the mouth.
