Miguel Almirón's Double World Cup Infamy: The Story Behind the Mouth-Covering Red Card

Paraguay midfielder Miguel Almirón made unwanted World Cup history twice in the space of a week at the 2026 FIFA World Cup: first as the player at the centre of the first 'mistaken identity' VAR reversal, then as the first player ever sent off under the newly introduced mouth-covering red-card rule. The rule itself was born from a Champions League racism allegation involving Vinícius Júnior and fast-tracked through IFAB in under three months.

The Incident That Triggered a Rule Change: Vinícius Júnior and the Champions League

In February 2026, during a UEFA Champions League match between Real Madrid and Benfica, Real Madrid's Vinícius Júnior alleged that Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni had racially abused him. Prestianni had lifted his shirt to cover his mouth while speaking to Vinícius, hiding what was said from cameras and lip-readers . The match was stopped for 11 minutes while Vinícius reported the incident to the referee .

FIFA President Gianni Infantino immediately called for players who cover their mouths during confrontations with opponents to be sent off, arguing that the act of hiding one's lips should be considered sufficient evidence of offensive intent . The International Football Association Board (IFAB) fast-tracked the measure, and on April 28/29, 2026, it was unanimously approved at a special meeting in Vancouver, Canada .

The 'Vinícius Rule': What It Says and What Else Changed

The mouth-covering rule is straightforward: any player who covers their mouth with a hand, arm, or shirt while speaking to an opponent during a confrontation will receive a direct red card . It is widely referred to as the 'Vinícius rule' . The rule is designed to prevent players from hiding racist or discriminatory remarks from cameras, referees, and lip-readers . A key nuance is that if the conversation is friendly, players can still cover their mouths; the rule only applies during confrontational situations .

IFAB also approved other measures for the 2026 World Cup:

• Red card for protest walk-offs — Players who leave the field in protest at a referee's decision, or officials who incite them to do so, will also be sent off .
• Expanded VAR for corners and set-pieces — VAR scope was broadened to review incidents during corners and free-kicks .
• No goalkeeper time-wasting — New rules to penalize keepers holding the ball too long .

Crucially, UEFA chose not to adopt the mouth-covering red-card rule for its own competitions, meaning it applied only at the World Cup .

Almirón's Red Card: The Historic Moment

On June 19/20, 2026, Paraguay faced Türkiye in a Group D match at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California. In the 3rd minute of first-half stoppage time (45+3), Almirón was involved in a confrontation with Türkiye right-back Mert Muldur after a foul near midfield. Almirón placed his hand over his mouth while speaking to Muldur. Muldur immediately appealed to referee Ivan Barton of El Salvador. After a brief VAR review, Barton showed Almirón a straight red card — the first sending-off under the new rule in World Cup history .

Paraguay played the entire second half with 10 men. The red card also meant Almirón was suspended for Paraguay's next group match .

One Week Earlier: The First 'Mistaken Identity' VAR Booking

Just days before his red card, Almirón had already made history of a different kind. During Paraguay's Group D match against the United States on June 12/13, 2026 (a 4–1 US win), US defender Tim Ream was initially shown a yellow card for a foul on Almirón . VAR reviewed the incident and determined that Almirón had simulated a dive to win the foul. Under FIFA's updated 'mistaken identity' VAR protocol — which allows officials to review incidents when a card has been shown to the wrong player — referee Danny Makkelie cancelled Ream's yellow card and instead booked Almirón for diving. It was the first time VAR had ever corrected a mistaken-identity booking at a World Cup .

This meant Almirón had already entered the World Cup record books once before the mouth-covering red card: first as the player who caused the first VAR mistaken-identity reversal, then as the first player sent off under the new mouth-covering rule.

Group D Context

The available match reports confirm two results in Group D:

• USA 4–1 Paraguay (June 12/13, 2026) — Almirón was booked via VAR mistaken identity .
• Paraguay vs. Türkiye (June 19/20, 2026) — Almirón sent off in the first half under the mouth-covering rule. The final match result and full table standings are not fully detailed in the available sources.

Group D consists of the United States, Paraguay, Türkiye, and one additional team not named in the captured sources. For precise current standings, match results, and points, checking FIFA's official 2026 World Cup group tables is recommended.