Historic decision at the World Cup comes during the Turkey-Paraguay match
The renewed red card system at the 2026 World Cup was implemented for the first time in the match where Turkey faced Paraguay. Following a VAR review, referee Ivan Barton sent Almiron off.
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In the second week of Group D of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the Crescent-Stars faced off against Paraguay at the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium in the USA.
During the first half of the match, the red card rule, which came into effect for the first time in the tournament, was applied in a notable manner. In the stoppage time of the first half, Paraguayan player Almiron covered his mouth with his hand and had a brief conversation with Mert Müldür. At these moments, the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) invited head referee Ivan Barton to the monitor to review the incident.
After watching the incident in detail on the screen, Barton did not hesitate to show a direct red card to Almiron, sending the player off. Thus, the new rule was tested for the first time in an official World Cup match, and Paraguay was forced to continue with 10 men on the field.