Implementation of a New Rule in the USA vs Paraguay Match

The match between the United States and Paraguay in the first round of the group stage of the 2026 World Cup saw the first actual application of the 'wrong identity correction' rule through the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology, in one of the most notable refereeing moments of the tournament so far.

During the match, Dutch referee Danny Makkelie awarded a foul in favor of the Paraguay team in the 49th minute and showed a yellow card to American defender Tim Ream for what was considered a dangerous tackle on Miguel Almiron.

After the free kick was taken, the referee received a signal from the VAR room to review the incident, prompting him to go to the screen and watch the event from several angles.

The replays showed that Tim Ream did not commit any foul and that Miguel Almiron fell without any real contact, in an attempt to gain a foul for his team.

After the review, Makkelie decided to cancel the yellow card given to Ream and issued the same card to Almiron for simulation. The free kick awarded to Paraguay was also canceled, and play resumed in favor of the American team.

This incident made history in the World Cup as the first case where the 'wrong identity correction' rule was applied in the tournament. It is one of the recent refereeing amendments that allows VAR to correct disciplinary sanctions when it is determined that the penalized player is not the actual offender or that the original decision was incorrect.