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During Friday's match between Paraguay and Turkey, the South American side's Miguel Almiron made unfortunate history by becoming the first player at a World Cup to receive a red card for covering his mouth while speaking to an opponent.

The rule was enacted by FIFA ahead of this summer's World Cup after an incident during a 2026 Champions League match between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid. When a player covers their mouth, it makes it impossible to prove what they said, whether it was racist, homophobic or another form of abuse.

While Paraguay went on to win the game 1-0, Almiron's moment will serve as an example for future soccer generations as the first time a player was shown a red card for the offense.

Here's why Almiron was sent off after covering his mouth at the 2026 World Cup.

2026 WORLD CUP HQ: Latest World Cup news | World Cup schedule | Buy World Cup tickets

Why is covering your mouth a red card at the World Cup?

Prior to the 2026 World Cup, FIFA enacted a new rule to combat players covering their mouths while speaking to opponents. Doing so makes it impossible to prove exactly what was said, turning the situation into one player's word against another.

In April, the International Football Association Board (IFAB) met to establish several new rules for the summer's World Cup. One of those rules called for a player to be issued a red card if they were seen covering their mouth during a confrontation with an opponent.

Here is FIFA's brief explainer on the matter:

Following a VAR review in the FIFA World Cup match between Türkiye and Paraguay, Miguel Almirón was shown red card for covering his mouth.

Following a special meeting of The IFAB held in April, a number of amendments were introduced to be implemented at the FIFA World Cup 2026.… pic.twitter.com/RkBLMhHGxl— FIFA (@FIFAcom) June 20, 2026

MORE WORLD CUP NEWS:

What happened in the 2026 Champions League?

During Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid's February bout during the Champions League, Atletico's Gianluca Prestianni covered his mouth while speaking with Vinicius Jr. Play during the match stopped for 10 minutes, according to the BBC, after Vinicius alleged Prestianni racially abused him.

After the match, fellow Real Madrid player Eduardo Camavinga came forward saying Prestianni actually said a homophobic comment towards Vinicius Jr. Prestianni denied making a racist comment and said the Real Madrid winger misheard him.

Here is a fan's perspective of the moment between Prestianni and Vinicius in the Champions League:

Due to the fact that no one could fully confirm what Prestianni said to Vinicius, it made it hard for UEFA, the governing body in charge of the Champions League, to find a side to believe. Prestianni was suspended for several games, and UEFA called upon FIFA to establish a groundwork to avoid situations like these in the future.

The rule put in place by FIFA has since been nicknamed "The Prestianni Law" by fans.

🚨 𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚: A few months ago in the Champions League, Gianluca Prestianni covered his mouth while saying something to Vinicius Jr.

It was never proven what he said, so the "PRESTIANNI LAW" was created: Any player who covers his mouth to say something to an opponent will… pic.twitter.com/aw41RRTdWu— The Touchline | 𝐓 (@TouchlineX) June 20, 2026

Miguel Almiron becomes first person sent off for covering mouth

During Friday night's match between Paraguay and Turkey, Almiron made unfortunate history by becoming the first player in World Cup history to be sent off for covering his mouth while speaking to an opponent. Ahead of this year's tournament, FIFA enacted a rule where if a player did this, regardless of what they said, they would automatically be sent off with no questions asked.

Here is the moment when the Paraguayan was sent off.

Paraguay's Miguel Almirón is sent off with a red card 🟥 pic.twitter.com/adQyHF296s— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 20, 2026

This came after the Champions League incident with Prestianni and Vinicius Jr. during the Champions League this past season. The referees and soccer governing organizations couldn't prove what exactly Prestianni told Vinicius, so they created a new rule where a player would automatically be sent off if they were seen covering their mouth.

Andrew Gitto

Andrew Gitto is an Editorial Intern who joined the Sporting News team in February 2026. He is an avid New York sports (Knicks, Mets, and Jets) and Manchester United fan who is patiently waiting to see his teams succeed. Andrew graduated from Syracuse University in May 2025.

Source: Sporting News