Paraguayan Miguel Almirón suspended for one match for covering his mouth

Paraguayan midfielder Miguel Almirón was suspended for one match after becoming the first player in World Cup history to receive a red card for covering his mouth. FIFA confirmed on Tuesday that Almirón would miss Paraguay's final group match against Australia on Thursday. The world football federation stressed that the decision is not subject to appeal. Almirón made history when he was shown a red card for covering his mouth during a confrontation with Turkey's Mert Mulder late in the first half in a match that Paraguay won 1-0 last Friday. Under the new rules, players cannot cover their mouths to hide their words during confrontations, and violations of this ban lead to immediate expulsion from the pitch.  FIFA president Gianni Infantino supported the introduction of the rule following the incident in the Champions League between Real Madrid and Benfica last season. Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni tried to hide offensive words directed at Real Madrid's Vinícius Júnior. UEFA later handed Prestianni a six-match suspension, three of which were conditional suspensions, for what it described as "discriminatory (i.e. homophobic) behavior". The International Football Council, the body responsible for the game's rules, agreed in April that players could be given a red card if they covered their mouths during a verbal confrontation with another player. The rule is not mandatory under the Laws of the Game, but gives competition organizers such as FIFA the ability to apply it. On Tuesday, Infantino said he supported the new rule, stressing that it was about respect and the example we should set. "If you have nothing to hide, you don't cover your mouth when you talk to someone. The rules have been clearly presented to everyone, everyone knows them, so this is an important element," Infantino said. --- ## Related Articles 1. [2026 FIFA உலகக் கோப்பை: சுவிட்சர்லாந்து 32ம் Image may contain: text that says '(https://verrikalam.com/ta/news/2026-fifa-32-1) 2. [World Cup 2026](https://azkalsgoal.com/fil/news/gianni-infantino-depensang-ang-hydration-break-sa-world-cup-2026-para-ito-sa-kaligtasan-ng-manlalaro-hindi-sa-kita)