World Cup: Miguel Almiron becomes 1st player to get red card for covering his mouth during confrontation

Paraguay midfielder Miguel Almiron became the archetypal subordinate to beryllium issued a reddish paper astatine the World Cup for covering his mouth, getting sent disconnected during a confrontation precocious successful the archetypal fractional against Turkiye.

The infraction came during first-half stoppage clip successful the Group D match connected Friday nighttime erstwhile Almiron and Mert Mulder exchanged words pursuing a foul adjacent midfield. Almiron covered his rima portion saying thing to Mulder, who instantly appealed to referee Ivan Barton for punishment.

Barton went to video reappraisal and rapidly ruled that Almiron would beryllium fixed a reddish paper and ejected nether a caller regularisation enactment successful spot for this year's World Cup.

"According to the law, if you screen your rima you're sent off. Red card," manager Gustavo Alfaro said. "There's thing I tin bash astir that. Unfortunately, we can't contented a caller sentiment connected this."

Paraguay led 1-0 astatine the clip and held connected for the triumph contempt playing a antheral down for the full 2nd half.

Alfaro said helium tried to cheer Almiron up aft the game, telling him his lack brought retired the "fighting spirit" of the team.

"He apologised to the players for his mistake," Alfaro said. "He knew astir the concern helium had near his teammates successful with his actions. ... It happened and it happened."

Verbal insults

FIFA president Gianni Infantino pushed for the caller regularisation aft Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni tried to fell verbal insults toward Real Madrid's Vinícius Júnior successful a Champions League game.

Alfaro said the squad was good alert of the regularisation adjacent if it mightiness beryllium excessively harsh. "I fearfulness we are excessively strict and shot loses its essence," Alfaro said. "In football, there's frictions, fights, clashes."

Almiron suspended

The reddish paper means Almiron volition miss the last radical signifier lucifer against Australia, with 2nd spot successful Group D connected the line. FIFA could take to lengthen a suspension to sideline Almiron for a knockout circular match.

"I anticipation the punishment is helium misses arsenic fewer matches arsenic possible," Alfaro said.

"He was precise atrocious and helium was heavy affected."

This is the 2nd clip successful 2 games astatine the World Cup that Almiron has been carded nether a caller regularisation successful spot this year. He got a yellowish paper successful the opening lucifer against the United States aft a video reappraisal overturned a yellowish paper issued to Tim Ream and gave it to Almiron alternatively for diving.