One of the most controversial moments of the 2026 FIFA World Cup involved Paraguay’s Miguel Almirón, whose red card against Türkiye sparked a lot of debate. The online betting platform 1xBet has all sorts of wagers on many different occurrences from the FIFA World Cup too.
Normally red cards happen for 3 main reasons:
- a violent tackle;
- dangerous play;
- or abusive conduct.
However, Almirón was sent off for covering his mouth while speaking to an opponent during a heated confrontation. At the 1xBet platform football fans can place all kinds of online betting on whether a player will get a red card too.
The incident occurred during a match played on the 19th of June 2026, where Paraguay won 2-0. In the 3rd extra minute of the 1st half, a bizarre situation occurred.
After a foul, Almirón approached a Turkish player to exchange words. As many footballers have done for years, he instinctively covered his mouth with his hand while talking. Under a newly introduced FIFA interpretation, however, players can be shown a red card if they cover their mouth in a provocative or inflammatory confrontation. This is a measure intended to make racist or discriminatory insults more detectable on camera. The referee judged that Almirón’s actions met the criteria and immediately produced a straight red card.
Sparking a lot of debate
The decision quickly became one of the tournament’s biggest talking points. Many supporters argued 2 things: that there was no visible evidence of offensive language and that the punishment was excessive. Critics claimed the referee applied the new rule too rigidly, turning a common football gesture into a sending-off offense. Even Paraguay coach Gustavo Alfaro questioned whether such interpretations were changing the nature of the game.
Ironically, only 4 days later, England’s Jude Bellingham was seen covering his mouth while speaking with Ghana’s Jordan Ayew, yet no disciplinary action was taken. FIFA’s refereeing department explained that Bellingham’s exchange appeared friendly rather than confrontational. This illustrated that the law depends heavily on the referee’s interpretation of the situation rather than the gesture alone.
Eventually, Almirón was given a 1-match suspension after this episode, which forced him to miss the 0-0 draw against Australia that took place 6 days later. However, the player returned for the match against Germany, which resulted in a shocking elimination for the Germans on penalties after a 1-1 result obtained in 120 minutes.