Paraguay secured a 1-0 victory over Turkey in their Group D clash on Sunday in San Francisco, despite facing controversy after midfielder Miguel Almiron was sent off for covering his mouth during an exchange with an opponent. The incident marked the first time a player has been dismissed under a new FIFA rule, which was introduced earlier this year following allegations of inappropriate language during a Champions League match.

Paraguay took an early lead in the second minute when Matias Galarza collected a pass from Julio Enciso and struck a low shot into the bottom corner of the net. Turkey, trailing and down to ten men from first-half stoppage time after Almiron’s dismissal, pushed hard for an equalizer but were ultimately unsuccessful, leaving them eliminated from the tournament and set to finish last in their group.

The red card decision arose after a video assistant referee (VAR) review when Almiron covered his mouth while speaking with Turkey’s Mert Muldur. This action violated the recently approved regulation, which was prompted after Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr. accused Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni of racial abuse during a February Champions League match. Although UEFA found the racial abuse claim unproven, Prestianni admitted to using a homophobic slur against Vinicius.

Turkey’s head coach Vincenzo Montella acknowledged the defeat but expressed optimism about the future, stating, “I’m sure that this lesson will certainly allow us to improve as a team. This disappointment, this bitterness – we will improve as a team going forward.”

Turkey came close to leveling the score in the first half, highlighted by Muldur’s header which struck both the crossbar and post. In the second half, Turkey held the numerical advantage and dominated possession, but were repeatedly denied by Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill. Gill made crucial saves, including stops against Abdulkerim Bardakci and Can Uzun, while other attempts from Uzun and Deniz Gul narrowly missed or were blocked.

Paraguay goalkeeper Gill praised his team’s resilience after the final whistle, saying, “It was a very important win. We knew we had to get those three points by any means and thankfully we managed to take them home.”

With this victory, Paraguay keeps their hopes alive in the group, while Turkey’s early exit is confirmed. The match was officiated by referee Ivan Cisneros.