2026 World Cup: A Red Card Like No Other—What Happened to Almiron?

Historic red card for Miguel Almiron during Turkey vs. Paraguay: the South American forward was sent off in stoppage time of the first half of the match in San Francisco—part of the second day of the 2026 World Cup—after violating the new rule that prohibits players from covering their mouths during an on-field altercation.

It all happened just seconds before halftime in the Turkey-Paraguay match. In the 48th minute, referee Barton was consulted by VAR: replays showed that Almiron, during an altercation with Turkey’s Muldur, covered his mouth. This gesture is now prohibited under the new FIFA guidelines, adopted following the controversy between Prestianni and Vinicius during the Benfica–Real Madrid match, when the Argentine player insulted the Brazilian star and was subsequently suspended.

Almiron was initially in shock, and the entire Paraguay bench protested—to no avail. FIFA President Infantino himself explained the new rule: “Those who have nothing to hide have no reason to conceal their lips, so if the gesture is used to cover up a discriminatory insult, a red card must be the natural consequence to rid soccer of this unacceptable behavior.”

Despite being a man down, Paraguay managed to defend the lead they had secured as early as the 2nd minute of the first half thanks to a precise left-footed shot by Galarza, securing a crucial 1-0 victory. Turkey, despite overwhelming the South Americans in the second half, failed to find the equalizer: chances by Uzun, Demiral, and Yilmaz proved insufficient, and Gul, in particular, squandered a chance to make it 1-1 just minutes before the final whistle. The two rising stars of the Turkish national team, Arda Güler and Kenan Yıldız, also fell well short of expectations, unable to make an impact in a disjointed match that ultimately played into Paraguay’s defensive strategy.

The result has devastating consequences for Vincenzo Montella’s Turkey, which—with two losses and zero goals scored (the first coming against Australia on the opening day)—is mathematically eliminated from the World Cup after just two games. A resounding debacle for a national team that had arrived in North America with high hopes, buoyed by an excellent qualifying campaign. According to rumors circulating in recent hours, Montella will not remain as Turkey’s head coach: the former forward could soon accept an offer from Fenerbahçe and return to club coaching.