Under the new policy in World Cup 2026, the player was expelled for the first time
Pablo Morales
— · 2 min read
The new policy introduced by the International Football Affairs Board (IFAB) was implemented for the first time at the FIFA World Cup. Paraguay's Miguel Almiron is sent off with 10 men against Turkey — the match is now in the second half. Almiron received a red card when he covered his mouth with his hand while saying something to Murt Muldur. This type of behavior, when there is an indication of some kind of competition between players, is now eligible for removal. The policy was inspired by an incident in the Champions League last season, in which Brazil's Real Madrid star claimed he was racially abused by Benfica's Argentinian player, who used his shirt to stop lip-reading. The start of the World Cup also saw the introduction of the 'Pristiani policy', which would penalize players for covering their mouths with their hands, arms or shirts. Almiron was the first player. Paraguay's sending-off occurred in the 44th minute of the first half after a scuffle between Pater and Yucek. There was some commotion between the players of both the teams and then there was an argument between Almiron and Muldur. The Turkish players were already calling for a VAR handshake, while Salvadoran referee Ivan Barton went to the monitor and then implemented the policy. Both Paraguay and Turkey have suffered defeats in their opening games and need a response to keep their knockout chances alive.
