Paraguay’s Miguel Almiron has become the first player to receive a red card under football’s new rule against covering your mouth while talking to an opponent during FIFA World Cup group stage match against Turkey in San Francisco.The incident happened just before halftime with Paraguay leading 1-0. Almiron, 32, was seen covering his mouth with his hand as he spoke to Turkish defender Mert Muldur. Muldur immediately called the attention of a nearby match official.After a video assistant referee (VAR) review, referee Ivan Barton of El Salvador informed the crowd that Almiron had been sent off.The World Cup is the first major competition where the new rulebook is applied. The rule was approved during a special meeting of the International Football Association Board (Ifab) in Vancouver in April.FIFA president Gianni Infantino has previously backed the move, saying referees should work from the “presumption” that players have said “something they shouldn’t have” when they deliberately cover their mouths during conversations on the pitch.However, the final decision rests with the referee, who is expected to assess the circumstances of each incident before deciding whether a red card is warranted.The issue of players covering their mouths came to attention earlier this year during a UEFA Champions League match involving Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni and Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior. Prestianni lifted his shirt while speaking to Vinicius and was later accused of racist abuse, which he denied.Following a UEFA investigation, Prestianni was found guilty of homophobic conduct, not racist abuse, and handed a six-match suspension, with three matches suspended.This is not the first time that Almiron has been affected by the newly introduced law at this World Cup. During Paraguay’s first game in the group stage against the United States, the referee initially booked American defender Tim Ream for a foul on Almiron. However, after a VAR review, the officials concluded that Almiron had faked the incident and the Paraguayan player was shown a yellow card instead.
