Overview
- Paraguay, which beat Turkey 1-0 on Saturday, saw Miguel Almirón shown a straight red at the stroke of half-time after referee Ivan Barton used VAR to review a mouth-covering gesture during a melee.
- As a result of the straight red, Almirón will be suspended for Paraguay’s final Group D match against Australia on June 26 in San Francisco.
- Almirón apologised to his teammates and posted a social-media message thanking them, and coach Gustavo Alfaro said the red card was applied in line with the new law.
- FIFA introduced the mouth-covering rule earlier this year after a Champions League incident involving Vinícius Júnior and Gianluca Prestianni, and referee chief Pierluigi Collina has said covering the mouth in confrontations can be punished because it may conceal abusive remarks.
- Paraguay’s victory keeps their knockout hopes alive and eliminates Turkey, and the high-profile enforcement at the World Cup will raise questions about how referees judge intent and consistency when applying the new rule.