Miguel Almiron receives historic red card in World Cup clash with Turkiye

Miguel Almiron made history in the World Cup as he received a red card in the first half of the Turkiye and Paraguay match as the South American nation secured a 1-0 win.

Matias Galarza got off to the perfect start in his World Cup debut for Paraguay as he scored within the first two minutes of the match with a superb strike.

The European nation would then dominate for the remainder of the first half but could not find a way through the stubborn Paraguayan defence.

As La Albirroja battled hard to keep Turkiye out, their task was made harder by Almiron as he became the first player to fall foul of a new rule at this World Cup introduced by the International Football Association Board (IFAB).

The former Newcastle United star would receive his marching orders in the third minute of first-half stoppage time as he made a comment to a Turkiye player but, as he did so, covered his mouth.

Tempers had been running high as the referee stopped play so a Paraguayan could receive treatment after clashing with a Turkish player; however, the European side were furious they could not continue the attack because the player was not suffering from a head injury, having taken a knock to his foot.

Amidst the scuffle between the two sides, Almiron could clearly be seen holding his hand over his mouth before making a comment to a Turkiye player.

¡LO EXPULSARON POR TAPARSE LA BOCA! 😨

Miguel Almiron fue expulsado después de taparse la boca al hablarle a Muldur. ¡Es la primera vez que la sanción ‘Prestianni’ se aplica! pic.twitter.com/Xf6OiKTjzY

— DIARIO RÉCORD (@record_mexico) June 20, 2026

The referee was directed to go to VAR to review the moment, and upon replay he swiftly made his decision and sent Almiron off, making it his third red card of his Paraguayan career.

Ivan Barton was left with no option, as the IFAB rule is clear that any player holding their hand over their mouth when talking to an opponent would receive a red card, this coming into the sport after Vinicius Jr accused Gianluca Prestianni of making a racist comment during Real Madrid’s clash with Benfica in the Champions League.

In the second half the ball rarely left the Paraguayan half as Turkiye laid siege upon the South Americans' goal, but they were unable to find a way through, and because of this, they were eliminated from the World Cup, the second nation to bow out after Haiti did earlier in the day after losing 3-0 to Brazil.

Fans' reaction to Miguel Almiron’s historic red card

Supporters have reacted to the decision online, and they have no sympathy for the Paraguay player, as IFAB made it clear that if you cover your mouth to talk to an opponent, the offender would receive a straight red card.

One supporter said: “This is stupidity at its finest. There’s no way Almiron wasn’t aware of the new rule, especially after the incident in the Champions League with Vini. A win keeps Paraguay in the World Cup, for now. A loss means they are gone, especially with the new H2H rule, though their goal difference is pretty bad too. He could essentially cost his country a place in the World Cup for putting his hand over his mouth. IDIOT.”

Another added: “Almiron is the dumbest guy in the world. How the hell are you gonna cover your mouth after everything that happened? You just screwed over your national team in a World Cup.”

While one said: “It's a new rule; they warn you before the tournament starts and you still do it. The stupid one is Almiron.”

Now that this rule has been implemented by a referee, there will be interest around whether another player will fall foul of this new rule or they will learn from Almiron’s mistake.