Miguel Almiron is the first player in World Cup history to be sent off for covering his mouth. FIFA confirmed Tuesday that the Paraguay midfielder will miss Thursday's must-watch group decider against Australia — no appeal, no wiggle room.
The red card came late in the first half of Paraguay's 1-0 win over Turkey on Friday, when Almiron shielded his mouth during a confrontation with Mert Mulder. Under rules ratified by the International Football Association Board in April, that gesture alone is grounds for instant dismissal. Competition organizers like FIFA can apply it at their discretion — and they very much did.
Where the rule came from
This wasn't invented out of thin air. Last season, Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni tried to hide what he was saying to Vinícius Júnior during a Champions League tie against Real Madrid. UEFA eventually handed him a six-game ban — three deferred — for homophobic conduct. Infantino saw it, didn't like it, and pushed for a structural fix.
The legislation is now in place, and Almiron just became its first World Cup casualty.
Infantino didn't shy away from it on Tuesday: "If you have nothing to hide, you don't cover your mouth when you speak to somebody." That's a clean line, and it sets the tone for how FIFA intends to enforce this going forward. Almiron's ban is as much a message to every other player at this tournament as it is a punishment.
What it means for Paraguay on Thursday
Losing your starting midfielder for a group-stage decider is never ideal, but Paraguay at least have the result that makes Thursday's game manageable — a win already in the bank. That said, anyone backing Paraguay's chances against Australia should factor this in. Their midfield shape changes without Almiron, and Australia will know it.
FIFA confirmed the decision is final. Paraguay play Thursday. Almiron watches.
