"Thief, thief, Barton. FIFA, you killed football. Infantino, you're responsible for this." That was Paraguayan commentator Jorge Chipi Vera, live on ABC Cardinal, during Paraguay's 1-0 win over Türkiye on June 19 — and it cost him his World Cup credential.
FIFA pulled his accreditation after the broadcast, meaning Vera cannot cover Paraguay inside or outside World Cup stadiums for the remainder of the tournament. For a commentator whose national team is still alive in the competition, that's a significant consequence.
What actually set him off
The flashpoint was a red card shown to Miguel Almirón for covering his mouth while apparently saying something to Türkiye's Mert Müldür. Under a new FIFA rule aimed at preventing players from hiding racist or homophobic remarks from lip-readers, that gesture alone is enough to earn a dismissal. Paraguay played out the win with ten men, but Vera had already gone well past the point of return on air.
He didn't stop at referee Ivan Barton. He turned his sights on FIFA president Gianni Infantino — "you should be ashamed" — and then on CONMEBOL president Alejandro Dominguez: "Less photos with Infantino. Grow a pair. You f***ing thieves."
It was a full meltdown, and it was broadcast to an entire nation.
The apology and the appeal
Vera apologized via social media on June 22, acknowledging he "used offensive and unacceptable expressions" and that losing control "never justifies" such behaviour, regardless of frustration. He also confirmed he sent a formal apology letter to FIFA.
ABC Cardinal has filed an appeal, calling the credential ban "extreme and manifestly disproportionate" for a first-time offence. FIFA has not commented publicly.
That appeal is a long shot. FIFA doesn't tend to reverse these decisions under pressure, and the quotes Vera put on record aren't easy to walk back. If Paraguay advance deep into the knockout rounds, he'll be watching from outside the stadium — assuming he's watching at all.
