For the first time at the World Cup, a football player was removed for covering his mouth during a conflict

Paraguay national team midfielder Miguel Almiron became the first football player in history to be removed from the field for covering his mouth during a conflict situation. The incident occurred on June 20 during the match of the second round of the group stage of the 2026 World Cup, in which the national team of Paraguay met with the Turkish team.

At the end of the first half, there was a clash on the field after the fall of Paraguayan player Isidro Pitta. During the conflict, Almiron turned to the defender of the Turkish national team, Mert Muldur, deliberately covering his mouth with his hand.

The referee of the match decided to remove the midfielder and showed him a straight red card. This happened after the intervention of the video assistant referee (VAR), who recorded a violation of the updated rules.

Before the start of the World Cup, the International Football Federation (FIFA) made significant changes to the rules of player behavior. According to the new rules, any football player who covers his mouth with his hand, equipment or shoulder while communicating on the field can be removed. Such actions are officially classified by the football authorities as an attempt to conceal the content of the conversation from television cameras and viewers.

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