"Thieves." That's what Jorge Chipi Vera called FIFA president Gianni Infantino and the match referee on live television. It cost him his World Cup accreditation.
The Paraguayan broadcaster lost it on air during Paraguay's 1-0 win over Turkey when Newcastle midfielder Miguel Almiron became the first player sent off at this tournament under FIFA's new rule banning mouth-covering during on-field confrontations. Almiron was dismissed in first-half stoppage time for speaking to Turkey's Mert Muldur with his hand over his mouth — a gesture that, under the new regulations, is now a red card offence.
Vera, who works for ABC Cardinal and ABC TV, didn't just question the decision. He accused Infantino and the referee of "killing football" in what he later described, in a public apology posted on X, as an "outburst" driven by frustration over the expulsion of a player from his own country.
The apology didn't save his seat
To his credit, Vera owned it fully. His statement was direct and didn't reach for excuses.
"Questioning a rule or disagreeing with a refereeing decision never justifies losing control the way I did," he wrote. "I failed you in something fundamental: maintaining the composure and respect that this profession requires."
He also confirmed he'd sent a formal letter of apology to FIFA and extended apologies to the sponsors backing his outlet's World Cup coverage. None of it was enough to keep his press pass. FIFA's sanction bars him from any World Cup coverage — inside stadiums or out — for the remainder of the tournament.
The broader story here is the rule itself. FIFA's mouth-covering ban was introduced to crack down on players hiding dissent and abusive language from officials — but Almiron's dismissal is already generating exactly the kind of controversy the policy was supposedly meant to reduce. A red card in a competitive World Cup match, handed out for covering your mouth, will be debated long after Vera's credentials are forgotten.
Paraguay finished the match with 10 men and still won. The rule, and the reaction to it, is only going to get louder from here.
