Paraguay boosted their hopes of reaching the World Cup knockout stages after securing a 1-0 victory against Turkey in their second group-stage match.
However, the result was overshadowed by a controversial moment involving Miguel Almiron.
The former Newcastle United star became the first player in World Cup history to receive a red card for covering his mouth during a match.
FIFA introduced the rule before the tournament to prevent players from concealing racist, discriminatory or abusive language.
Paraguay had already taken the lead when the incident occurred, and nearly half of the match still remained.
The decision sparked a furious reaction from Paraguayan commentator Jorge Vera during his live broadcast.
Vera launched an extraordinary rant against several football officials, starting with referee Ivan Barton. He said (via The Sun):
“Thief, thief, Barton. They killed football. FIFA, you killed football. Infantino, you’re responsible for this.”
The commentator continued his criticism by directly targeting FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
“FIFA, take responsibility for turning football into this. A disgrace. You should be ashamed, Infantino.”
Vera later turned his attention to CONMEBOL president Alejandro Dominguez.
“Alejandro Dominguez, less photos with Infantino. Grow a pair. You f***ing thieves!”
The broadcaster also questioned the decision to send off Almiron and defended the Paraguay international’s character.
“What kind of racism could Miguel Almiron possibly use against the Turkish player? Show me some common sense.”
However, FIFA have now responded to the incident by revoking Vera’s tournament credentials for the remainder of the World Cup.
The decision has prompted a response from Paraguayan broadcaster ABC Cardinal. The company released a statement urging FIFA to reconsider the punishment.
“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.”
For now, Vera’s ban remains in place, although ABC Cardinal hope FIFA will review the sanction following the commentator’s apology.
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