FIRST RED CARD ISSUED UNDER NEW FIFA RULE

CALIFORNIA, JUNE 20 /SRNA/ – Paraguayan footballer Miguel Almirón was shown the first red card at the FIFA World Cup during a match against Turkey, due to a new rule introduced by the International Federation of Football Association /FIFA/, which prohibits covering the mouth.

Almirón covered his mouth and said something to Turkish player Mert Müldür in the third minute of first-half stoppage time, after which Müldür immediately raised his arms in protest.

Referee Iván Barton reviewed the footage and confirmed that Almirón had covered his mouth, after which he issued a red card, Sportklub reported.

Despite being a man down, Paraguay defeated Turkey 1–0 in the Group D match of the World Cup, played at Levi's Stadium near San Francisco.

The red card for covering the mouth was introduced ahead of the World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States.

FIFA introduced the rule in order to prevent situations that had become increasingly common in recent years, where players would cover their faces while speaking things to opponents or referees that were not meant for the public.

Such incidents often involved racist or discriminatory remarks, and players would cover their mouths to avoid being penalized later if lip-readers interpreted what was said.