Paraguayan commentator loses World Cup credentials after on-air tirade against referee and Infantino

Jorge Vera, a Paraguayan commentator working for broadcaster ABC Cardinal, has been stripped of his World Cup 2026 accreditation by FIFA after delivering a blistering on-air tirade directed at referee Ivan Barton and FIFA president Gianni Infantino during Paraguay’s 1-0 victory over Turkey.

The outburst was triggered by the red card shown to ex-Newcastle United midfielder Miguel Almiron, who became the first player in history to be dismissed for covering his mouth during a confrontation — a rule introduced to prevent players from concealing racist, discriminatory or abusive language. The sending off dominated the post-match conversation despite Paraguay securing the win and keeping their knockout-stage hopes alive.

With Almiron walking off the pitch, Vera’s commentary descended into a sustained attack on multiple football authorities. He called Salvadoran referee Barton a thief, accused FIFA of destroying the game, and held Infantino personally responsible. “Thief, thief, Barton. They killed football. FIFA, you killed football. Infantino, you’re responsible for this,” Vera said live on air.

He continued: “FIFA, take responsibility for turning football into this. A disgrace. You should be ashamed, Infantino.” Vera then turned on CONMEBOL president Alejandro Domínguez, telling him to “grow a pair” and labelling those involved “f** thieves.” He also questioned the logic of the rule as it applied to Almiron, asking: “What kind of racism could Miguel Almiron possibly use against the Turkish player? Show me some common sense.”

FIFA responded by revoking Vera’s credentials for the remainder of the tournament. ABC Cardinal has since published an eight-point statement urging FIFA to reconsider, arguing that the punishment is disproportionate given that the incident was isolated and followed by an immediate apology. “We believe that the permanent cancellation of a credential for the entire duration of the tournament constitutes an extreme and manifestly disproportionate sanction for a primary infraction that was immediately acknowledged, for which formal apologies and concrete mechanisms for redress were offered,” the broadcaster wrote.

Almiron himself broke his silence after the match, expressing gratitude to his team-mates and the Paraguayan federation, though he faces a suspension that could affect Paraguay’s remaining group-stage fixtures. FIFA has not publicly responded to ABC Cardinal’s appeal.