Australia midfielder Jackson Irvine has voiced strong support for FIFA's new rule that penalizes players for covering their mouths when speaking, following the dismissal of Paraguay winger Miguel Almirón in a World Cup group match. Almirón became the first player sent off under the regulation, introduced for the 2026 tournament to curb the practice of hiding comments from cameras and referees.
Almirón's red card and the new rule
Almirón was shown a straight red card during Paraguay's 1-0 victory over Turkey, leaving his team to play the final stages with 10 men. The rule, approved by the International Football Association Board in April, targets players who deliberately cover their mouths to conceal offensive or inflammatory remarks. Irvine, a member of FIFPro's global player council, said players had been clearly briefed before the tournament.
“I know it’s going to be controversial in some ways because we don’t know the nature of what [the comment] was, but when you look at what’s happened in the past, especially around what happened with Vinícius Júnior, I think it takes everything out of the equation,” Irvine told reporters.
Precedent from Vinícius Júnior incident
The most high-profile case occurred earlier this year when Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni made homophobic remarks to Real Madrid's Vinícius Júnior while covering his mouth with his shirt. The referee did not send Prestianni off, and video evidence could not be used, but he was later banned for six matches. Irvine believes the new rule eliminates ambiguity and protects players from abuse.
“If you’re saying something to someone that you don’t want to be seen, then I think it’s safe to say that if you can’t be seen saying it, then it shouldn’t be said,” Irvine said. “For me, it’s a clear line on the rule, and we were all told about it, so it is what it is.”
Group D showdown: Australia vs Paraguay
The red card means Almirón will miss Paraguay's crucial final Group D match against Australia at the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium on Thursday (Friday AEST). Both teams are vying for second place, with the winner likely advancing directly, while the loser faces an anxious wait to see if they progress as one of the eight best third-placed teams across 12 groups.
Paraguay enter the match with momentum after their narrow win over Turkey, but Irvine warned his teammates to expect a physical and unpredictable opponent. “Watching Paraguay against Turkey last night, there was a sequence towards the end of the game that sums up their style of football,” he said. “It was with about five minutes to go, and they had won the ball back high up the pitch, and they had a chance to go to the corner. The guy just whips the cross into the back stick with three guys, and they try and score again with 10 men and they’re 1-0 up. Expect the unexpected.”
Socceroos' need for improvement
Australia has never beaten a South American side at a World Cup, and Irvine acknowledged the challenge. He stressed the need for a better start than in their previous match against the USA. “The main thing that we have to get better from the first half is just being able to come into the duels and arrive – in the physical side of the game – a little bit better, and ride through those difficult moments,” he said. “We’re playing against top teams at the highest level, but they’re going to have moments where you’re going to have to defend and we’re going to have to suffer and you’ve got to find ways to get through that.”
