If you stayed up for Turkey vs. Paraguay on Friday night, you got a World Cup moment nobody expected. And it happened in a game that wasn’t even supposed to be the headliner.
Paraguay’s Miguel Almiron became the first player ever sent off under FIFA’s new anti-mouth-covering rule — a directive that’s already been nicknamed the “Prestianni Law” after Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni used a homophobic slur toward Vinícius Jr. during a Champions League match earlier this year.
The rule is simple: if a player covers their mouth while talking to an opponent or official, the referee can issue an immediate red card. FIFA’s logic is that covering your mouth is a deliberate attempt to hide insults from cameras and microphones. And on Friday, the VAR crew caught Almiron doing exactly that.
How it went down
With the score already 1-0 to Turkey after Matías Galarza scored the fastest goal of the tournament so far at 64 seconds, tensions were high. Almiron got into it with Turkey’s Mert Müldür after a hard tackle. The Paraguayan star appeared to say something toward Müldür while cupping his hand over his mouth. The Turkish defender immediately ran toward the officials, and VAR took a closer look.
After review, Paraguay’s No. 10 was shown a straight red. Historic stuff, even if nobody expected the first test of this rule to happen in a group-stage match between two teams that aren’t exactly tournament favorites.
Replays showed Almiron’s mouth clearly covered as he leaned in. Whether he actually said something warranting a red card is beside the point under this rule. FIFA decided the act itself is enough.
Why this rule exists
The Prestianni Law came together fast after that Champions League incident. Prestianni was caught on camera using a homophobic slur directed at Vinícius Jr., but he had his hand over his mouth during the exchange. It was only after broadcast footage zoomed in and lip-readers confirmed the insult that UEFA acted. FIFA decided they weren’t going to leave it up to camera angles anymore.
So now, if you cover your mouth during a confrontation, you risk a red card. Simple. Brutal. And apparently enforceable in real time with VAR.
It’s a controversial approach. Some players and managers have already argued that covering your mouth is just a habit — something you do unconsciously when talking in close quarters. But FIFA’s stance is that the rule is necessary to police hate speech and protect players from targeted abuse.
Almiron’s red card might be the first, but it probably won’t be the last. Teams will have to adjust quick, or their stars will be watching from the stands.
Paraguay now faces the rest of the tournament without their biggest attacking threat. And Turkey? They just got a huge boost in a group that suddenly looks winnable.
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