Miguel Almirón was sent off in Paraguay vs. Turquía after covering his mouth while speaking during a stoppage in the third minute of added first-half time. Paraguay were leading 1-0 when the referee reviewed the exchange and showed the red card, leaving Gustavo Alfaro’s side to finish with 10 players.
Paraguay vs. Turquía
The sequence was brief but decisive. Almirón was caught in a confrontation between both teams, covered his mouth while speaking, and was expelled without mitigation. The match had already been tilted by Paraguay’s lead, so the dismissal immediately changed the shape of the game and put the midfielder’s availability into question for what comes next.
One line from the match description captures why the moment drew attention: “ALMIRÓN EXPULSADO POR TAPARSE LA BOCA!” The caption also said, “Paraguay se quedó con 10 jugadores tras ocultar sus labios mientras le dijo algo a Mert Müldür.” A third caption line added, “Primera vez que se aplica la nueva regla.”
Ley Prestianni
The expulsion was tied to a new FIFA protocol linked to what happened with Gianluca Prestianni in Benfica vs. Real Madrid in the Champions League. Under that rule, players cannot cover their mouths while speaking unless they are talking to their coach or a teammate. The referee used that standard here, which makes this red card more than a routine dismissal: it is the first time the rule was applied.
That leaves Almirón facing at least one match of suspension, and the minimum penalty would rule him out of Australia. FIFA’s Executive Committee could still extend the sanction, even if the chance of a longer ban appears remote. For Paraguay, that means the immediate concern is no longer the red card itself, but whether the suspension stops at one match or stretches further into the World Cup path under Gustavo Alfaro.
Australia and FIFA
Paraguay entered the match after a 1-4 loss to Estados Unidos in the first round, so the dismissal landed in a game that already carried weight for qualification hopes. A one-match ban would keep Almirón out of the next step; a longer one would deepen the problem for a side that cannot afford to lose another player through the same rule again. The decision now sits with FIFA’s process, not with the match itself.
