The 2026 World Cup recorded an unprecedented event this Friday. Paraguayan Miguel Almirón became the first footballer expelled for the call “Vinicius Law” during the match between Türkiye and Paraguay, for partially covering his mouth while arguing with an opponent.
After the action, the VAR alerted the Salvadoran referee Iván Barton, who reviewed the play and showed the direct red card to Almirón, leaving Paraguay with one less player at a decisive moment of the match.
The rule arose after Vinicius Junior reported discriminatory insults in a Champions League match. As what was said by his rival, Benfica player Lucas Prestianni, who covered his mouth when speaking to him, could not be verified, the soccer authorities incorporated this rule to sanction behavior that may conceal racist or discriminatory expressions.
The objective of the regulations is clear and forceful. FIFA considers that intentionally covering the mouth during a confrontation with an opponent is a tactic used to conceal offensive language of a racist, homophobic or discriminatory nature.
Therefore, the rule assumes that if a footballer hides his lips while arguing with an opponent, he does so with the intention of hiding something improper, which automatically triggers the most severe sanction available within the game regulations.
Almirón’s expulsion sets a precedent that will serve as a warning for the rest of the tournament participants. FIFA has insisted that these new rules seek to increase transparency on the field and facilitate referee work in potentially conflictive situations.
The incident that occurred in Paraguay’s match against Turkey became one of the most talked about moments of the day, not only because of the expulsion itself, but because it represented the first practical application of a rule that bears the name of Vinicius Junior and that was born to protect footballers from discriminatory insults in the most popular sport in the world.