😳 Cup sees 1st sending-off for player covering mouth in clash

One of the new rules introduced by the International Football Association Board (IFAB), the body responsible for the sport’s rules, was applied for the first time at this FIFA World Cup.

Paraguay went down to 10 men against Türkiye — in a match now in the second half — after their No. 10 Miguel Almirón was sent off.

The red card came after he covered his mouth with his hand while saying something toward Mert Müldür.

That kind of behavior, when there is an indication of a confrontation between players, has now become punishable by a sending-off.

The “inspiration” for the rule was the incident involving Prestianni and Vini Jr. in a Champions League clash last season.

The Brazilian Real star reported that he had been the target of a racist insult from Benfica’s Argentine player, who used his shirt to prevent lip-reading. 

The start of the World Cup also marked the start of the “Prestianni rule,” which will punish players who cover their mouths with a hand, arm or shirt during a verbal confrontation with another player.

Almirón was the first.

The incident that led to the Paraguayan’s dismissal happened after a challenge between Pitta and Yuksek in the 44th minute of the first half. 

There was some commotion between players from both teams and then the argument between Almirón and Müldür. 

Turkish players were already calling for VAR intervention before Salvadoran referee Iván Barton went to the monitor and then enforced the rule. 

📸 Dean Mouhtaropoulos - 2026 Getty Images

Paraguay and Türkiye both opened with defeats and need a response to keep their hopes of reaching the knockout stage alive. 

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.