Paraguay's Miguel Almiron has made World Cup history — and not in the way he would have wanted. The 32-year-old became the first player ever to receive a red card for covering his mouth while speaking to an opponent, in a remarkable incident during Paraguay's group-stage match against Turkey in San Francisco.

Almiron obscured his mouth with his hand while talking to Turkey's Mert Muldur. Muldur immediately alerted the nearest official, prompting a VAR review that resulted in referee Ivan Barton of El Salvador brandishing the red card and announcing the decision to the crowd.

The incident occurred just before half-time, with Paraguay leading 1-0 at the time.

A new rule, applied for the first time

The dismissal marks the first enforcement of a new regulation introduced specifically for this World Cup. The rule was formally adopted at a special International Football Association Board (Ifab) meeting held in Vancouver in April.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino had previously expressed support for the measure, stating that referees should operate from a "presumption" that any player covering their mouth has said "something they shouldn't have." However, the final decision remains entirely at the referee's discretion, taking all circumstances into account before issuing a red card.

Commenting on BBC Radio 5 Live, former Republic of Ireland striker Clinton Morrison acknowledged the controversy but backed the officials: "If you know the rules, you shouldn't do it. You've got to credit the referee and the VAR for making that decision. Not everyone would agree with it, but if those are the rules, you've got to stick by the rules."

The rule's origins

The issue of players concealing their mouths during on-pitch conversations gained widespread attention in February, when Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni raised his shirt to cover his face while speaking to Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr during a UEFA Champions League match. The Argentina international was accused of racist abuse — an allegation he denied — and was provisionally suspended for one match.

A subsequent UEFA investigation cleared Prestianni of the racism charge but found him guilty of homophobic conduct instead, resulting in a six-match ban, three of which were suspended.