Referee shows Paraguay's Almiron red card, and he got an 'unwanted record' with it

Receiving a red card in a World Cup match is nothing new. But becoming the very first player to receive one under FIFA's brand-new disciplinary rule guarantees a spot in the history books—even if it is an unwanted record. And Paraguay's Miguel Almiron now has that unwanted record to his name.

He earned it during Paraguay's FIFA World Cup 2026 Group D match against Turkey.

The incident occurred during first-half stoppage time. Almiron was involved in a confrontation with Turkey's Mert Muldur and, during the exchange, covered his mouth while speaking.

The referee, Ivan Barton, spotted the act and immediately showed him a straight red card. VAR then reviewed the decision to ensure there was no mistake and upheld the dismissal. With that, Almiron became the first casualty of the new rule and its first record holder.

FIFA had introduced a string of new rules ahead of the World Cup, and this was one of them. Under the regulation, players who cover their mouths with their hand, arm or shirt during confrontational situations can be shown a red card.

The rule was introduced after Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni was accused of directing discriminatory slurs at Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr while speaking with his mouth covered.

Paraguay had already scored before Almiron was sent off. Despite being reduced to 10 men, they held on to secure a 1-0 victory over Turkey.