Paraguay's 10 Men Hold Off Türkiye as Almirón Becomes First Player Sent Off Under New Mouth-Covering Rule

Paraguay survived a man down for the entire second half to beat Türkiye 1-0 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara on Friday, a result that eliminated Türkiye from World Cup contention. The match will likely be remembered most, though, for a refereeing first: Paraguay midfielder Miguel Almirón became the tournament's first player sent off under a new law that allows officials to dismiss players for addressing an opponent while covering their mouth.

The goal that decided the match arrived almost immediately. Matías Galarza pounced on a misplaced Türkiye pass deep in Paraguay's half, drove forward and unleashed a low strike from outside the area that beat the goalkeeper after little more than a minute — among the fastest goals of the tournament so far.

The flashpoint came in first-half stoppage time. Almirón and Türkiye's Mert Müldür exchanged words following a foul near midfield, and Almirón covered his mouth while speaking to his opponent. Müldür immediately appealed to referee Iván Barton, who consulted the video assistant referee before issuing a red card under the protocol introduced for this World Cup to clamp down on insults and unsportsmanlike conduct between players.

Reduced to 10 men for the entire second half, Paraguay absorbed sustained Türkiye pressure — Müldür alone struck the crossbar and the post — to protect their lead. Türkiye's defeat leaves them bottom of Group D without a point from two matches, while Paraguay remain in the hunt for a knockout place via their final group fixture.

The sending-off has reignited debate over FIFA's expanded disciplinary guidance for this World Cup, introduced partly in response to incidents of players using gestures to mock or address opponents during on-field altercations. Whatever its merits, the rule's first real-world test arrived on a night that also confirmed co-hosts United States as Group D winners, after their earlier 2-0 win over Australia.

Sources: ESPN — Paraguay's Almirón becomes first to be sent off for covering mouth · Al Jazeera — Türkiye knocked out of World Cup 2026 after 1-0 defeat to 10-man Paraguay