Miguel Almiron became the first victim of FIFA’s new face covering rule when the Paraguay midfielder was sent off during his team’s World Cup clash against Turkey on Friday.

Almiron was shown a straight red card by referee Ivan Barton following a VAR review at the end of the first half. The incident occurred during a heated altercation with Turkiye defender Mert Muldur after a foul on Paraguay forward Isidro Pitta sparked a confrontation between the players.

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Standing away from the main melee, Almiron was seen covering his mouth with his hand while talking to Muldur. The Turkiye defender immediately alerted the match officials, leading to VAR intervention. After reviewing the footage on the pitchside monitor, Barton showed a straight red card, reducing Paraguay to 10 players.

The dismissal left Paraguay 1–0 up, leaving them with a loss for the remainder of the competition.

What is the new FIFA rule?

FIFA introduced the regulation ahead of the 2026 World Cup as part of efforts to tackle abusive or discriminatory language on the pitch.

Under the rules, a player who covers his mouth with a hand, sleeve or shirt when involved in a confrontational situation with an opponent can be shown a red card. The purpose of this law is to prevent players from hiding comments that cannot be verified by match officials, broadcasters or disciplinary bodies.

However, this rule does not apply to non-collision situations. FIFA has clarified that players will not be penalized for covering their mouths during friendly conversations, including exchanges with club teammates representing different national teams.

The regulation was introduced following an incident involving Benfica’s Gianluca Pristiani during a Champions League knockout match against Real Madrid earlier this year. Prestieni reportedly covered his mouth while directing the abuse at Vinicius Jr., making it difficult for officials to determine what was actually said.

When announcing the rule in AprilThe International Football Association Board (IFAB) said, “At the discretion of the competition organiser, any player covering his mouth in the event of a collision with an opponent may be sanctioned with a red card.”

Over the years, players and coaches have routinely covered their mouths during conversations to prevent tactical discussions from being captured by television cameras. However, football lawmakers have stepped in to crack down on the practice during confrontations, particularly in cases involving potential abuse or discriminatory comments.

Almiron’s dismissal against Turkiye is now the first high-profile example of the rule being applied FIFA World CupSetting an example for the players in the remainder of the tournament.

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