The Paraguay national football team is still reeling from the expulsion of Miguel Almirón against Turkey for covering his mouth while talking to an opponent. The Paraguayan team won the match 0-1 on 2026-06-20.

What happened?

The star of the Albirroja was a 'victim' of the new rules implemented by FIFA for this World Cup. Sergio Melgarejo, former FIFA referee, showed his disagreement with the application of this rule by the Salvadoran Iván Barton.

Why is it important for Paraguay?

“Personally, I don't agree with the new rule, we're killing football more and more. We're killing the most beautiful sport”, said Sergio Melgarejo to the Crónica newspaper.

What's next?

The next match for the Paraguay national football team is against Australia on 2026-06-26. | Team | Date | | --- | --- | | Paraguay | 2026-06-26 | | Australia | 2026-06-26 | The expulsion of Miguel Almirón continues to generate criticism in Paraguay.