Almiron Becomes First Player Sent Off in World Cup for Covering Mouth
The 2026 World Cup witnessed a historic sending-off case, after Paraguayan player Miguel Almiron became the first player in the tournament's history to be sent off for covering his mouth while speaking to an opposing player.
Almiron received a red card after approaching Turkish player Mert Müldür with his hand over his mouth just before the end of the first half, in an incident that sparked widespread controversy within the match.
The match was officiated by referee Ivan Barton, who made the decision to send off Almiron after receiving a signal from VAR referee Khamis Al-Marri, as per the new refereeing protocol applied in the tournament.
According to FIFA, this rule was officially implemented during the 2026 World Cup, after being unanimously approved last April, with players being informed in advance.
The implementation of this rule came after the controversy stirred by the Prestianni case, when Argentine player covered his mouth during a match between Benfica and Real Madrid and spoke to Vinicius Junior, where the Brazilian player accused him of making a racial slur. However, the lack of evidence from lip reading prevented a severe penalty in that incident.
Almiron received a red card after approaching Turkish player Mert Müldür with his hand over his mouth just before the end of the first half, in an incident that sparked widespread controversy within the match.
The match was officiated by referee Ivan Barton, who made the decision to send off Almiron after receiving a signal from VAR referee Khamis Al-Marri, as per the new refereeing protocol applied in the tournament.
According to FIFA, this rule was officially implemented during the 2026 World Cup, after being unanimously approved last April, with players being informed in advance.
The implementation of this rule came after the controversy stirred by the Prestianni case, when Argentine player covered his mouth during a match between Benfica and Real Madrid and spoke to Vinicius Junior, where the Brazilian player accused him of making a racial slur. However, the lack of evidence from lip reading prevented a severe penalty in that incident.
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