Paraguayan football commentator Jorge Chipi Vera had his 2026 FIFA World Cup credentials revoked after an on-air outburst protesting a red card shown to Paraguay midfielder Miguel Almiron during the match against Turkey on June 19. Vera, 32, used profane language accusing FIFA president Gianni Infantino and referee Ivan Barton of being “thieves” and “killing football” while working for ABC Cardinal and ABC TV broadcasters [1, 2, 3, 4].
Almiron became the first player to receive a red card at the 2026 World Cup for covering his mouth while speaking to an opponent, a new FIFA rule violation leading to instant dismissal [1, 2, 5, 3, 4]. FIFA confirmed Almiron’s one-match suspension on June 23, ruling no appeal would be permitted; he will miss Paraguay’s final group game against Australia [5].
FIFA’s rule against covering the mouth during verbal confrontations aims to promote transparency and respect, as Infantino said: "If you have nothing to hide, you don’t cover your mouth when you speak to somebody" [5]. Vera’s 20-minute tirade reportedly included calling officials “son of b----hes” about 20 times [4].
FIFA revoked Vera’s credentials, banning him from all tournament coverage inside and outside stadiums. Although FIFA has not publicly commented, sources said Vera’s language was deemed unacceptable and fell below broadcaster standards [1, 3]. Vera issued a public apology on social media platform X on June 22, taking full responsibility and saying his loss of composure was unacceptable: "I failed you in something fundamental: maintaining the composure and respect that this profession requires" [1, 2, 3, 4].
Vera’s suspension means he is barred from covering Paraguay’s remaining World Cup matches and other tournament events.
The next step involves Paraguay preparing for their Group stage finale against Australia without Almiron, whose suspension was confirmed on June 23 [5].
