All articles tagged with #mouth covering
Paraguay midfielder Miguel Almirón was sent off for covering his mouth during a confrontation with Turkey, the first time this act has earned a World Cup red card; Paraguay hung on to a 1-0 lead and eliminated Turkey despite playing the second half with 10 men.
Paraguay forward Miguel Almirón was sent off for covering his mouth during a confrontation in Paraguay’s World Cup group-stage win over Turkey, the first red card under the new IFAB rule banning mouth-covering in confrontations; he will miss Paraguay’s final Group D match versus Australia, with FIFA able to extend the suspension. The ruling followed a VAR review, and the rule change was prompted by an earlier incident involving Vinícius Júnior and Gianluca Prestianni, highlighting the ongoing scrutiny of player conduct during confrontations.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino argues referees should presume a player who covers his mouth during confrontations has said something inappropriate, and if the remarks are racist, the player should be sent off. He urged decisive, deterrent measures and noted Ifab discussions to curb players hiding what they say. The stance follows the Gianluca Prestianni incident with Vinícius Jr. and UEFA’s provisional one‑match ban pending full investigation.