First Red Card at World Cup for 'Covering Mouth' During Argument

The 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America has seen its first player sent off under the so-called "Vinicius Rule," which penalizes players for covering their mouths while arguing with opponents.

Paraguay's key midfielder, Miguel Almiron, was shown a red card late in the first half during the Group D match against Turkey, held at the Bay Area Stadium in San Francisco, California.

Just before the end of the first half, with Paraguay leading 1-0, Paraguayan forward Isidro Pitta attempted a rough tackle and collided with a Turkish player. He then appealed to the referee, claiming his foot had been stepped on by the opponent.

As players from both teams swarmed the area, tensions flared. During the confrontation with a Turkish player, Almiron was seen covering his mouth while saying something.

Following protests from the Turkish side, the referee reviewed the incident on the field and subsequently issued a red card to Almiron.

Ahead of this tournament, FIFA decided to strictly sanction the act of covering one's mouth while speaking during confrontations with opponents. The measure is intended to prevent players from using the inability to verify spoken content as a cover for racist remarks or insults.

The rule, often dubbed the "Vinicius Rule" by football fans, stems from a UEFA Champions League match between Real Madrid and Benfica last February, where a Benfica player was accused of making racist remarks toward Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior while covering his mouth.

Almiron is the first player to be sent off under this new regulation at the North America World Cup.

Despite being reduced to ten men following Almiron's dismissal, Paraguay managed to hold onto their lead, securing a 1-0 victory thanks to a goal scored by Matias Galarza in the first half.

Reported by Kim Taewon | Video by Na Hong-hee | Design by Yang Hye-min | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.