"Prestianni rule" debuts: Almirón sent off at WC

A notable first occurred at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. In the Türkiye-Paraguay match, Paraguay's Miguel Almirón was shown a red card for covering his mouth while saying something to an opponent, becoming the first player dismissed under the new rule at the tournament.

The incident came in first-half stoppage time (45+3). After a foul near midfield, a verbal confrontation broke out between Almirón and Türkiye right-back Mert Müldür. Almirón covered his mouth with his hand while saying something to Müldür, who immediately turned to Salvadoran referee Iván Barton to demand action. After a video review (VAR), Barton quickly showed Almirón a red card.

The decision is based on a new rule FIFA put in place for this year's World Cup, brought forward at the initiative of FIFA president Gianni Infantino. The issue had erupted in February when, in a Champions League match, Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni tried to hide remarks aimed at Real Madrid's Vinícius Júnior by covering his mouth; the matter was discussed at an IFAB meeting and the measure came into force at this summer's World Cup. The logic: if a player covers his mouth and says something, the presumption is that he said something he shouldn't have.

Paraguay coach Gustavo Alfaro said they could not contest the decision. Noting that under the law covering the mouth brings a red card and that there was nothing he could do, Alfaro added that friction and clashes are natural in football, voicing concern that the rule may be too strict and risks stripping the game of its essence. Still, he stressed his team was well aware of the rule.

Down to ten men, Paraguay played the entire second half a man short but held on to the goal scored by Matías Galarza in the 2nd minute, winning 1-0 and eliminating Türkiye from the tournament. After the match, Almirón was said to have apologised to his teammates for leaving them in a difficult position.

Image: sports.yahoo.com