Paraguay’s Miguel Almiron became the first player to receive a red card under football’s new law against covering his mouth for talking to an opponent during a match. FIFA World Cup Group games with Turkey in San Francisco.This happened shortly before half time when Paraguay were leading 1-0. Almiron, 32, was seen covering his mouth with his hand while talking to Turkish defender Mert Muldur. Muldur immediately reported the matter to the nearest match official.After a review by the video assistant referee (VAR), goalkeeper Ivan Barton of El Salvador told the crowd that Almiron would be sent off.The World Cup is the first major tournament where the new rule is implemented. The law was approved at a special meeting of the International Soccer Association Board (Ifab) in Vancouver in April.FIFA president Gianni Infantino previously agreed, saying referees should follow the “presumption” that players say “something they shouldn’t have” when they deliberately close their mouths during on-field discussions.However, the final decision will still rest with the referee, who is expected to assess the circumstances of each incident before deciding whether a red card is appropriate.The issue of the tight-lipped players came to light earlier this year during a UEFA Champions League match involving Benfica player Gianluca Prestianni and Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior. Prestianni lifted his shirt while talking to Vinicius and was later accused of racial abuse, which he denied.After a UEFA investigation, Prestianni was found guilty of homophobia rather than harassment and was suspended for six matches, three of which were suspended.This is not the first time that Almiron has been affected by the new rule at this World Cup. In Paraguay’s opening game against the United States, the referee initially booked US defender Tim Ream for abusing Almiron. However, following a VAR review, the officials determined that Almiron took the initiative, and a yellow card was shown to the Paraguayan player.
