Miguel Almirón of Paraguay became the first player to receive a red card for covering his mouth while conversing with an opponent during his team’s World Cup group match against Turkey in San Francisco.
Almirón, 32, covered his mouth with his hand while chatting with Turkey’s Mert Muldur, who promptly told the official standing next to him.
Following a visual assistant referee (VAR) examination, El Salvadoran referee Ivan Barton informed the fans that the former Newcastle United winger would be sent off.
The event occurred shortly before halftime, with Paraguay leading 1-0.
Commentating for BBC Radio 5 Live, former Republic of Ireland striker Clinton Morrison said, “If you know the rules, you shouldn’t do it.” You’ve got to credit the referee and the VAR for making that decision.
“Not everyone would agree with it, but if those are the rules, you’ve got to stick by the rules.”
Paraguay defeated Turkey 1-0 despite being without Almiron for more than half of the contest.
They will advance to the last 32 if they defeat Australia in their last group encounter on Friday (03:00 BST).
The new rule is being enforced for the first time during the World Cup.
The decision to implement it was made during a special meeting of the International Football Association Board (IFAB) in Vancouver in April.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino earlier stated that he would support the introduction of such a punishment and that referees should operate under the “presumption” that players have spoken “something they shouldn’t have.”
The decision is solely at the discretion of the referee, who will consider all circumstances before delivering a red card.
The topic of players covering their mouths gained traction in February when Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni raised his shirt while communicating with Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr during a Champions League encounter.
The Argentina international was accused of racist comments, which he denied, and was temporarily suspended for one match.
Following a UEFA inquiry, Prestianni was found guilty of homophobic conduct and banned for six matches, three of which were suspended.
Almiron had violated yet another new law during Paraguay’s initial World Cup group match against the United States.
The referee first booked US defender Tim Ream for fouling Almiron, but a VAR review determined that the Paraguayan had dived and he was given a yellow card instead.
