Almirón receives historic World Cup red card: why was the Paraguay player sent off?
The ‘Vinicius Law’ came into effect for the first time at the 2026 World Cup on Friday, when Paraguay’s Miguel Almirón was dismissed against Türkiye.
Historic. During Paraguay’s Group D win over Türkiye, South American forward Miguel Almirón was sent off for addressing a Turkish opponent while covering his mouth with his hand. VAR alerted match referee Iván Barton, who had little choice but to dismiss Almirón.
Following a melee late in the first half of Friday’s matchday-two clash in Santa Clara, Almirón said something to Turkish right back Mert Müldür with his hand over his mouth, prompting Müldür’s teammates to immediately appear for a video review. The red card was obvious.
Law brought in after Prestianni-Vinícius incident
This new rule came into force ahead of the World Cup after the controversy involving Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni and Real Madrid’s Vinícius Júnior, when the Argentine was alleged to have racially abused the Brazilian during a Champions League tie in February.
The Benfica player was handed a three-match suspension, plus another three suspended matches pending good behavior. FIFA took that incident seriously in an effort to prevent a repeat and sat down with IFAB, soccer’s rule-making body, to craft a regulation that would ultimately be introduced in time for the World Cup.
FIFA, together with the IFAB, approved a slate of measures for the tournament, and this was among the most groundbreaking. Players are not allowed to cover their mouths with a hand, arm, or jersey while addressing an opponent. The so-called ‘Vinicius Law’ has made its on-field debut: a first in world soccer history.
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