Unlucky 7th, and red cards on the table

Long after Turkiye’s abysmal finishing in San Francisco is forgotten, their decisive 1-0 loss to Paraguay will still remain anchored in FIFA World Cup lore. Yesterday’s display will be a mere footnote, though; the match has been immortalised courtesy of an unprecedented red card.

The defeat abruptly ended Turkiye’s return to the world stage after a 24-year hiatus. Arriving with highly anticipated rising stars like Real Madrid’s Arda Guler and Kenan Yıldız of Juventus, Italian manager Vincenzo Montella’s side collapsed before they could even coagulate.

Across successive losses to lower-ranked Australia and Paraguay, Turkiye amassed 62 shots without scoring -- the most toothless two-match attacking record since 1966.

This wastefulness was completely overshadowed just before halftime. With Los Guaranies protecting a 1-0 lead courtesy of Matias Galarza’s superb 64-second strike -- which eclipsed Morocco’s Ismael Saibari’s 71-second effort hours earlier as the fastest goal of the tournament -- Paraguay captain Miguel Almiron was shown a straight red for a bizarre new offence: covering his mouth.

Almiron was caught shielding his lips during a heated verbal exchange with defender Mert Muldur. Under the newly enacted 'Prestianni’s Law' -- introduced after Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni hid his mouth to abuse Vinicius Junior of Real Madrid -- the act itself is now a dismissible offence.

Referee Ivan Barton reviewed the VAR footage, flashed the straight red, and broadcast his decision over the stadium’s public-address system. It was a pioneering blow, yet Turkiye failed to capitalise on a full half of man-advantage as a spirited Paraguay held on to revive their Group D campaign.

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Almiron's dismissal typifies a highly aggressive officiating trend. By the 32nd fixture of this expanded edition, referees had already produced seven straight red cards -- more than double the combined total of 2018 and 2022.

Yet, the tournament's most fiercely debated incident revolves around a marching order never given, magnified because the protagonist happens to be Lionel Messi.

During Argentina's 3-0 victory over Algeria, Messi caught Aissa Mandi on the calf with a raised boot from behind. A textbook red card in frozen still images, the live feed made the action appear bordering on unintentional.

Ultimately, Messi’s spotless reputation likely spared him, allowing him to stay on the pitch, complete a hattrick, and equal Miroslav Klose’s World Cup scoring record.

Aggrieved by the double standard, Algeria went on to formally lodge a complaint with FIFA, with rival coaches openly questioning why unheralded players face multi-match bans -- as did South Africa's Themba Zwane -- while icons escape scrutiny.

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“Zwane’s red card is too severe... When I compare it to what happened yesterday with Messi, I certainly don’t agree. I don’t think there was even a VAR review with Messi, whereas this incident was reviewed,” South Africa head coach Hugo Broos told reporters on Wednesday on the eve of their clash against Czechia. 

Aside from the Messi incident, the referees have made their uncompromising statement. As the tournament accelerates toward the high-stakes knockout rounds, survival will belong to the teams that can maintain their composure and emotional balance under what appears to be the strictest officiating era in World Cup history. 

 

THE ONES WHO RECEIVED MARCHING ORDERS TILL DAY 9