Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- A new World Cup rule is being tested for the first time after a player was shown a red card this week.
- The rule aims to stop players from hiding abusive language by covering their mouths during matches.
- The decision sends a clear message about zero tolerance for offensive behavior on the pitch.
There are a lot of ways to be sent off in a World Cup game. The most embarrassing, and new, way was revealed when Paraguay's Miguel Almiron picked up a red card for the offense of covering his mouth.
Almiron became the first player to run afoul of a new rule approved by the International Football Association Board, or IFAB, in April ahead of the World Cup.
Why do players receive a red card for covering their mouth at the World Cup?
The rule prohibits players from covering their mouths under any circumstances in an effort to prevent players from concealing evidence of abusive language.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino put it this way: "If you do not have something to hide, you don't hide your mouth when you say something. That's it, as simple as that."
The rule change was sparked by an incident in the Champions League earlier this year. UEFA suspended Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni, an Argentinian, for three matches after finding him guilty of homophobic conduct. He put his shirt over his mouth while speaking to Vinicius Junor of Real Madrid.
It's a harsh penalty for players, but it's also the ultimate deterrent. FIFA is trying to rid the game of abusive behavior. With cameras able to capture specific instances, players who engage in such language could avoid detection by covering their mouths.
Almiron now becomes an example to other players, which is exactly what FIFA will have wanted. There's zero tolerance and covering your mouth is no longer a way to get away with saying things that shouldn't be said on the pitch.
That red card could have significant implications, not just for Paraguay and Turkiye, but for the United States. The USA can clinch the group with a Paraguya win or draw. If Turkiye, now playing against 10 men, manages to overturn the 1-0 deficit and win, winning the group would come down to the final game of the group stage.
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