Paraguay midfielder Miguel Almiron made history for the wrong reasons by becoming the first player dismissed under FIFA’s newly implemented anti-discrimination regulation during his team’s crucial 1-0 triumph over Turkiye in FIFA World Cup Group D.
The experienced attacker was shown a straight red card during first-half injury time following a heated confrontation with Turkish fullback Mert Muldur. Almiron was spotted shielding his mouth while addressing his opponent, which immediately drew the attention of the match officials.
After a formal VAR review, the referee’s on-field decision was validated, forcing Paraguay to play the entire second half a man down.
The dismissal stands as the maiden application at a World Cup of the strict guidelines brought forward by the International Football Association Board (IFAB) earlier this year. Under this mandate, footballers who hide their mouths using their hands, arms, or jerseys while speaking during hostile on-field exchanges face an automatic sending-off, as the gesture can be used to hide discriminatory or derogatory slurs.
The governing bodies tightened this rule in the wake of a controversial UEFA Champions League incident involving Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni and Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior, an event that triggered widespread discussion regarding alleged insults spoken behind covered mouths.
Matias Galarza stuns Turkiye with quick opener
Despite operating at a numerical disadvantage, Paraguay showed defensive discipline to lock down a crucial victory, significantly improving their chance of reaching the Round of 32 while simultaneously knocking Turkiye out of the tournament.
The South American outfit enjoyed a perfect start to the match, breaking the deadlock a mere 65 seconds after kickoff. Capitalising on a sloppy Turkish giveaway, Matias Galarza intercepted the ball and launched a spectacular long-range missile past goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakir, scoring Paraguay’s quickest goal of the campaign.
Following Almiron’s red card, Paraguay shifted into a deeply organised defensive block for the second half. Though Turkiye controlled the lion’s share of the ball, they lacked the ingenuity to break through. Late efforts from substitutes Deniz Gul and Can Uzun, along with a chance for Merih Demiral, all failed to beat an inspired Gill. With this loss, one of the darkhorse Turkiye, was knocked out of the FIFA World Cup 2026.
(With ANI inputs)
