Paraguay striker sent off under Prestianni law, Benfica man stars (Video) | OneFootball

The so-called "Prestianni Law" has claimed its first victim at the World Cup, and the incident is generating huge debate in the football world. The moment came in Saturday’s match between Turkey and Paraguay, when Miguel Almirón was sent off before half-time following an incident with Mert Müldür.

It all happened in the closing moments of the first half. During an exchange of words with the Turkey international, Almirón put his hand over his mouth while speaking to his opponent. The gesture was immediately pointed out by Müldür and ended up drawing the attention of the officiating team.

Alerted to the situation, referee Iván Barton turned to the VAR footage to review the incident. After watching it back, he did not hesitate to show the Paraguayan player a straight red card, making him the first footballer sent off under the rule that gained notoriety after the episodes involving Gianluca Prestianni against Real Madrid.

The case has once again put the spotlight on one of the most debated rules of recent times, precisely the one associated with the young Benfica talent. The aim is to combat behaviour considered unsporting and prevent situations in which players try to conceal messages or insults during arguments on the pitch.

Interestingly, this is not the first time Miguel Almirón has been linked to a historic refereeing moment at this World Cup. The previous week, against the United States, the Paraguayan had already been involved in the first application of the so-called "mistaken identity rule", when a disciplinary decision was overturned following VAR intervention. Now, he has made competition history again, but for very different reasons.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.