A 2026 World Cup commentator has been banned by FIFA after completely losing his head during the match between Paraguay and Turkey.
Paraguay needed to pick up at least a point after facing defeat to the United States in their opening match of the competition.
They kept their hopes of qualifying for the knockout rounds alive after beating Turkey 1-0 in a hard-fought match. They managed to triumph despite Miguel Almiron being shown a straight red card in first-half stoppage time.
The former Newcastle United midfielder was given his marching orders after covering his mouth during a confrontation. The rule was introduced in this summer’s tournament to stop players concealing racist, discriminatory, or abusive language.
Paraguayan commentator Jorge Vera unleashed an incredible rant on ABC Cardinal after Almiron was shown his marching orders. He started by calling referee Ivan Barton a ‘thief’ before taking aim at FIFA president Gianni Infantino. He raged, per the Mirror:
“Thief, thief, Barton. They killed football. FIFA, you killed football. [Gianni] Infantino, you’re responsible for this. FIFA, take responsibility for turning football into this. A disgrace. You should be ashamed, Infantino.”
He then hit out at CONMEBOL president Alejandro Domínguez. “Alejandro Domínguez, less photos with Infantino. Grow a pair. You f****** thieves!
“What kind of racism could Miguel Almiron possibly use against the Turkish player? Show me some common sense.”
FIFA have reacted to Vera’s outburst by taking away his accreditation for the remainder of the tournament. ABC Cardinal have condemned that decision. They said:
“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 apologies were presented, the error was admitted, and corrective measures were immediately implemented… Correcting errors is necessary. So is ensuring that sanctions are reasonable, proportionate, and compatible with basic principles of justice.
“No sanction should disregard a professional career based on an isolated incident that has been acknowledged and rectified. We trust that FIFA will review its decision and allow proportionality and dialogue to lead us to justice.”
You scored
out of 20
REUTERS/Henry Romero
Vera has taken to social media to apologise for his comments. He said:
“To the public opinion. During the live transmission of the Paraguay-Turkey match, in the heat of the moment and the tension of the broadcast, I made comments that exceeded the limits.
“I used strong expressions and personal attacks against the referee and FIFA officials, which I deeply regret. I recognise that I went too far with my words. I have already sent a formal note of rectification and apologies directly to the FIFA accreditation team, acknowledging the verbal excess caused by the pressure of the live broadcast.
“I want to apologise publicly to FIFA, to the refereeing team, to my colleagues, and especially to the audience for any offense my words may have caused. It was never my intention to attack anyone personally. I got carried away in the emotion of the moment. I take full responsibility for my mistake. Thank you.”
Paraguay are next in action on Thursday, June 25, when they take on Australia at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium. A point would likely be enough to see them progress to the knockout rounds.
From rewriting the history books at Camp Nou to finally getting his hands on football’s biggest prize in 2022, and even taking his talents into MLS with Inter Miami, the Argentine has built a goal-scoring CV that places him among the most prolific players the sport has ever seen. But for all the trophies and milestones, one detail of his career has nothing to do with stats at all.
Almost every time he scores, Messi looks up and points both index fingers to the sky, a gesture that’s become as recognisable as the goals he scores.
Why Lionel Messi Points to the Sky When He Scores
The gesture is a tribute to Messi’s grandmother, Celia Olivera Cuccittini, who passed away when he was still a young boy in 1998. Celia played a hugely important role in his early years in football, reportedly taking him to his very first training sessions and pushing for him to be given a chance to play despite his small stature.
“I am doing this because I dedicate my goals to my grandmother.”
It’s a pretty consistent habit for someone who’s scored as many goals as he has.
What Other Celebrations Does Messi Have?
Lionel Messi celebration vs Real Madrid
Even though pointing to the sky is his signature and go-to celebration, it’s far from the only one Messi has used throughout his career.
He’s been known to run away from the goal with his arms out, often mobbed by teammates in the process, like in the 2022 World Cup final.
There have been more specific tributes too. Messi has previously marked the birth of his children with a thumb-sucking gesture aimed at the camera.
One of Messi’s other celebrations is perhaps one of the most iconic images in football. Back in 2017, Messi scored an injury time winner in El Clasico at the Bernabeu. From there, he removed his shirt and stood in front of the Madridistas in the stands, with his name and number held up at them.
For someone who’s had the odd controversial moment, his celebrations have generally stayed fairly understated. There’s been none of the elaborate choreography seen elsewhere in the game, and even his most famous moments tend to be built around emotion rather than spectacle. That’s arguably part of why the sky-point has endured for so long, fitting neatly with a player who lets his play do the talking.
Lionel Messi Goal Records
Hannah McKay via Reuters
Messi’s sky-point has been performed more times than almost any other celebration in football history, a byproduct of just how often he’s found the net across two decades at the very top of the game.
He holds the record for the most Ballon d’Or awards ever won, comfortably ahead of anyone else in the conversation. He’s also Barcelona’s all-time leading goalscorer, sitting well clear of the next name on the list. In 2026, he became the top scorer in World Cup history.
Lionel Messi, Ronaldinho, Diego Maradona and Ronaldo Nazario all feature among Barcelona’s greatest ever players.
Scoring aside, Messi has broken records as a creator too, holding the mark for the most assists provided at both club level and on the international stage.
Given how often he’s found the net throughout his career, it’s safe to say very few players will ever dedicate quite so many goals to one single person.
TRANSFER NEWS: Ben Jacobs reveals Arsenal are set to bid for Morgan Rogers, with Aston Villa valuing the England attacker at £80m–£100m.
In the latest GMS newsletter, Ben Jacobs breaks down why Morgan Rogers has become Arsenal’s number one target, how Mikel Arteta and Andrea Berta view his versatility, and why Aston Villa’s PSR situation could shape the deal.
There are also major updates on Arsenal’s wider transfer plans, including Ayyoub Bouaddi, Jeremy Monga, Julian Alvarez and Bradley Barcola.
Plus, Ben Jacobs has the latest on Liverpool’s push for Yan Diomande, PSG’s involvement, alternative attacking targets, Enzo Fernandez wanting Real Madrid, Manchester United’s interest in Mateus Fernandes, and the midfield battle between Tottenham and Manchester City for Sandro Tonali.
Liverpool want to sign Yan Diomande from RB Leipzig this summer, but getting a deal over the line will not be easy.
The teen sensation is the Reds‘ number one transfer priority in the summer transfer window, with the Anfield outfit needing to strengthen in wide forward areas following the departure of Mohamed Salah and the question marks over Federico Chiesa and Cody Gakpo’s futures.
Diomande has been a shining light for the Ivory Coast at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in America, Canada and Mexico so far, winning the man of the match award for the win over Ecuador and impressing in the 2-1 defeat to Germany.
Leipzig price keeps going up for Diomande
Action Images
Liverpool will have to splash big money on the 19-year-old in order to complete a deal, with Leipzig looking for at least €100million to sanction a deal, not that they want to at all.
The German outfit are keen to keep hold of their red-hot forward and have offered him improved contract terms in the hopes of making him stay for at least one more year. The Red Bull side qualified for next season’s Champions League and the hope is that will encourage him to stay put for another year.
Liverpool have already had one bid for the Ivorian turned down, GIVEMESPORT understands it was for €80million plus €20 million in add-ons, so totaling the €100million that the German side were demanding. The Reds are planning to make a second offer in the coming days.
He said: “Liverpool’s perspective is that Diomande is their number one target, but if they cannot get him, and relatively quickly, they’re also prepared to move on.
“It’s not a transfer that Liverpool want to drag on until deadline day, like Alexander Isak when he moved from Newcastle, it’s clarity quickly, and if they can’t get it because the player decides to stay or Leipzig’s price remains at €130million or so, then Liverpool move on to other targets.”
The Diomande alternatives Liverpool could sign this summer
via Reuters
And the Reds already have four other names in the frame when it comes to strengthening their forward line, as revealed by Jacobs.
He continued: “There’s appreciation for Bradley Barcola, so in a backhanded way, if PSG get Diomande, it might open the door for Barcola to move to the Premier League.
“There’s also Matias Fernandez-Pardo [from Lille], Said el Mala [from Koln] and Yankuba Minteh at Brighton, three other names the Reds are looking at.”
