Paraguay’s Miguel Almiron received the first red card for talking with his mouth covered.
It happened during today’s game, in the first half after a VAR review involving referee Ivan Barton going to the pitch-side monitor.
Play had been stopped for a foul on Paraguay’s Isidro Pitta and as players from both teams gathered around the striker, Almiron appeared to say something to Turkey’s Mert Muldur while covering his mouth with his hand.
The sending-off was the first of its kind after IFAB — the body which sets the rules of the game — changed its laws in April to include players covering their mouths in instances of confrontation being punishable with a red card.
That law came in following an incident involving Real Madrid winger Vinicius Junior and Benfica midfielder Gianluca Prestianni, during a UEFA Champions League match in February.
There is no indication Almiron said anything abusive.
