Paraguay’s road to the knockout rounds at the World Cup grew a little more difficult on Friday night.
In the third minute of first-half stoppage time during the La Albirroja’s match against Turkey in Santa Clara, Calif., Paraguay forward Miguel Almiron was sent off with a red card, putting his team a man down the remainder of the match.
With Paraguay up 1-0, Almiron covered his mouth while talking to Turkey defender Mert Muldur. That drew the red card based on one of FIFA’s new rules for this World Cup.
According to a FIFA press release: “At the discretion of the competition organizer, any player covering their mouth in a confrontational situation with an opponent may be sanctioned with a red card.”
The rule was put in place in an attempt to stem racist comments being directed by one player to another with the offending player covering his mouth so as to not get caught.
Almiron, who entered the match with disciplinary concerns as he drew a yellow card in the 4-1 loss to the United States in their World Cup opener on June 12, will now miss Paraguay’s final Group D match, against Australia in Santa Clara next Thursday.
Australia will be looking for a win after falling to the United States 2-0 earlier Friday. With the two wins, the U.S. have already booked a spot in the knockout round. Should Paraguay beat or draw with Turkey, the U.S. would clinch the group before playing Turkey next Thursday.
Almiron, 32, is in the second season of his second stint with MLS team Atlanta United. He scored six goals in 31 matches last season but has yet to score in eight matches in 2026. He previously played for Atlanta in 2017 and ’18 before spending seven seasons with Newcastle United of the Premier League.
–Field Level Media
