"Don't Cover Your Mouth!" Red Card Issued: Paraguay Sees First 'World Cup Ejection' Under New Rule

The 2026 FIFA World Cup in North and Central America has seen its first player sent off for "covering the mouth while arguing," a practice colloquially known as the "Vinicius Rule."

Paraguay's key midfielder, Miguel Almiron, was dismissed late in the first half during the Group D match against Turkey at Bay Area Stadium in San Francisco, California.

Just before the end of the first half, with Paraguay leading 1-0, Paraguayan forward Isidro Pitta clashed with a Turkish player following a rough tackle and appealed to the referee, claiming his foot had been stepped on.

As players from both teams swarmed the area, tensions flared. During the confrontation with a Turkish player, Almiron covered his mouth while saying something.

The Turkish side protested to the referee, who reviewed the incident via an on-field monitor before showing Almiron a red card.

Ahead of this tournament, FIFA decided to strictly sanction the act of covering one's mouth while speaking during confrontations with opponents. The measure aims to prevent players from hiding racist remarks or insults, taking advantage of the difficulty in verifying what was said.

The regulation stems from a UEFA Champions League match between Real Madrid and Benfica last February, where a Benfica player was accused of making racist remarks toward Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior while covering his mouth. Among football fans, it has become known as the "Vinicius Rule."

Almiron is the first player to be sent off under this new regulation at the North and Central American World Cup.

Despite being at a numerical disadvantage following Almiron's dismissal, Paraguay held on to the lead provided by Matias Galarza's first-half goal to secure a 1-0 victory.

Reported by Kim Taewon | Video by Na Hong-hee | Graphics by Yang Hye-min | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.