The commentator was stripped of his right to participate in the World Cup because of the Almiron controversy
FIFA stripped commentator Jorge Vera of his right to participate in the World Cup after a loud controversy over his decision to send off Miguel Almiron in Paraguay's win over Türkiye.
FIFA has officially stripped commentator Jorge Vera of his right to participate in the World Cup after an emotional debate on television. In the match that Paraguay won 1-0 against Türkiye, Miguel Almiron became the first player in World Cup history to be sent off for covering his mouth when talking to an opponent.
When Almiron used his hand to cover his mouth to talk to Türkiye's Mert Muldur, this player informed the referee standing nearby. After consulting VAR, Almiron was sent off at the end of the first half. Vera could not keep calm and had harsh criticism towards FIFA President Gianni Infantino and referee Ivan Barton, calling them "thieves" and accusing them of "killing football".
Afterwards, Vera apologized for his actions and announced on X that his participation had been revoked. "While I felt disappointed that my country's players were sent off, I made unsatisfactory and unacceptable words towards the referee, FIFA and their agencies," Vera said. He said the FIFA sanctions mean he cannot work on Paraguayan television channels such as ABC Cardinal and ABC TV in covering the World Cup, both in and out of the stadium.
Vera sent a letter of apology to FIFA, accepting full responsibility for her actions. "Questioning a rule or disagreeing with a referee's decision never justifies losing control like I did," he said. "I failed to maintain the calm and respect that this profession requires." FIFA has not yet responded to Vera's claim that his right to participate has been revoked. However, according to sources from Reuters, FIFA believes that Vera's language was unacceptable and his actions did not meet the standards that licensed commentators need to follow.
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