In the run-up to a new championship, FIFA always comes up with some new rules. The goal is to make the matches as entertaining, fair and “clean” as possible. We have become accustomed in the Champions League to seeing players hissing at each other, while holding their hands in front of their mouths so that no one can later read what is being said. This is to be avoided in the 2026 World Cup. On Saturday night, the first “victim” came.
Several new rules have been introduced in the World Cup. One rule is that players are not allowed to cover their mouths in confrontations. This is partly after the controversy that unfolded in the Champions League match between Benfica and Real Madrid last spring, when Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni covered his mouth in a confrontation with Vinicius Junior, who claimed that Prestianni had uttered racist words.
READ: World Cup 2026: Full Fixtures, Dates, Results & Group Tables
In Saturday’s morning match between Turkey and Paraguay, the rule was applied for the first time. Paraguay’s Miguel Almiron covered his mouth in a confrontation with Turkey’s Mert Muldur, who showed a strong reaction.
Referee Iván Barton ran to the VAR screen to review the situation, and then chose to give Almiron a red card. We guess the player did not see the upside of writing World Cup history.
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