The 2026 World Cup witnessed the first sending-off in football history under the new law regarding covering the mouth during altercations between players, after the referee showed a direct red card to Paraguay national team player Miguel Almirón during the match against the Turkey national team.

The decision came after a review by the VAR, which showed Almirón covering his mouth with his hand during a heated verbal exchange with a Turkish player, an action the referee deemed a clear violation of the amendment that came into effect a few months before the start of the tournament.

World Cup new records

Almirón thus became the first player to pay the price for the new law in a major official tournament, in an incident likely to provoke widespread debate in football circles regarding the limits of applying the newly introduced regulations and their impact on player behavior on the field.

The International Football Association Board (IFAB) had approved the amendment several months prior with the support of the FIFA, as part of efforts aimed at combating verbal abuse and racist or discriminatory remarks that might be said away from the cameras, by preventing players from hiding their lip movements during verbal confrontations.

The law has transformed from merely a new regulatory clause into a practical reality on the world’s biggest football stage, after the 2026 World Cup saw the first sending-off related to it. The incident enters the tournament records as a historic precedent that may push players to reconsider their behavior during moments of tension on the pitch.

While no immediate comment was issued by the Paraguay national team regarding the incident, the event opened the door to questions about whether this red card will be an isolated case or the beginning of a series of similar penalties with increased scrutiny over verbal conduct in modern football.

Featured image via the Canary

By Alaa Shamali

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