Miguel Almirón was sent off in Paraguay vs Turkiye, and football results from the 2026 World Cup update turned on one brief confrontation. Paraguay finished the moment down to 10 players, and Almirón will miss the Socceroos vs Paraguay game on June 26.
Miguel Almirón and Ivan Barton
Almirón covered his mouth while speaking to Mert Muldur, and the incident was flagged by the group and reviewed by VAR before Referee Ivan Barton showed the red card. The decision was described as the first time the rule against covering the face during a confrontation had been used in the 2026 World Cup.
That sequence leaves Paraguay with a straight suspension hit before June 26. The red card did not just end Almirón’s night; it also removed one player from a match that was already moving under World Cup disciplinary scrutiny.
Turkey pressure at 78 per cent
Türkiye had 78 per cent possession at one stage, but Paraguay was still the team that scored early and then lost a player to a red card. That split tells the story of the match better than any long explanation: one side had the ball, the other had the first major impact, and then the balance shifted again when Paraguay went to 10.
The same June 19 update also listed USA beating Australia 2-0, with Cameron Burgess scoring an own goal in the 11th minute and Alex Freeman scoring in the 43rd minute. Morocco beat Scotland 1-0 on the same day, with Ismail Saibari scoring in the 2nd minute.
June 26 and Paraguay
For Paraguay, the immediate consequence is simple. Almirón is out for the Socceroos vs Paraguay game on June 26, and the side now has to adjust without him after a red card that came from a confrontation and a VAR review.
What Almirón said before the dismissal is not disclosed in the source, but the punishment was. In a World Cup update built around scores and scorers, this was the moment that changed Paraguay’s next match more than any result on the page.
