Paraguay midfielder Miguel Almirón was shown a straight red card for covering his mouth while speaking to opponents during a World Cup group stage match against Turkey in San Francisco on June 19, 2026.
The incident occurred after a video assistant referee review determined that Almirón had violated a new tournament regulation banning players from covering their mouths during altercations.
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Despite being reduced to ten men, Paraguay held a 1-0 lead at halftime.
Midfielder Matías Galarza scored the opening goal in the second minute with an 18-meter shot past Turkish goalkeeper Ugurcan Çakir.
Turkey dominated possession with roughly 80 percent in the first half and came close to equalizing in the 35th minute when a header from Mert Müldür struck both the post and crossbar.
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In a separate fixture in Philadelphia, Brazil secured a 3-0 victory over Haiti, with Matheus Cunha scoring twice and Vinicius Junior adding a stoppage-time goal.
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It was Brazil's first win of the campaign.
Netherlands manager Ronald Koeman addressed criticism over his tactical substitutions during a previous 2-2 draw against Japan, where replacing his entire frontline led to a late equalizer.
"The substitutions did not have the impact we had hoped for," Koeman said. He took full responsibility for the tactical breakdown that drew widespread domestic criticism.
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"So I can understand the criticism. That is on my account and you have to take that like a big man," Koeman added.
