Mexico fans slammed for homophobic chant at World Cup
Mexico's record at the World Cup has been completely flawless so far but the same sadly cannot be said of their fans.
The co-hosts have sailed into the final 16 after recording four wins and four clean sheets from their fixtures thus far, with England potentially facing an ominous trip to face them in the Azteca should they beat DR Congo this afternoon.
There's been plenty of controversial moments on the pitch, with two players sent off for covering their mouths as part of the new rules introduced by FIFA, while the hydration breaks have also been questioned as many believe it's simply a way of raising money through advertisement breaks.
But off the pitch, the fans have widely contributed to a party atmosphere, with the Scottish fans particularly enjoying themselves in Boston, while viral videos online have seen Mexican supporters be extremely welcoming of fans from other countries.
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Unfortunately, that party atmosphere in Mexico has led to a moment of controversy as the fans could be heard shouting a homophobic slur throughout their match against Ecuador last night, and it isn't the first time that they've been guilty of it.
In fact, they've been warned about chanting 'Puto', a slur that means male prostitute in Spanish, for the past three World Cup tournaments. Mexican soccer officials even launched a campaign to deter the chant before the World Cup kicked off but it seems to have done little to deter the fans, who were determined to do everything possible to disrupt their opponents.
But the chant was clearly a step too far to a lot of fans who took to social media to complain about its continued use.
One user wrote: 'All these years 'fighting homophobic chants' and they yell 'puto' four times and nothing. FIFA are a joke... because they went after Mexico years ago. Now this and their hypocrisy exudes."
Another account adopted a more drastic response, writing: "Hey @FIFA, Mexico fans chanting Puto. Make them forfeit this game."
Although judges at a hearing in March acknowledged that the Mexican federation mitigation had 'put measures in place since 2015 to educate, prevent and eradicate the chant', a fine of $178,000 was still issued following incidents of the slur being used in 2024 fixtures against Bolivia, Uruguay, Brazil and the United States.
Until fans make the conscious decision to stop and call out others who are displaying this behaviour however, it seems as if it will essentially be impossible to police.
The Athletic's Matt Slater wrote on X: "On the one hand, FIFA fines aren't working. But, on the other, we can't just let some Mexican fans keep screaming an anti-gay slur each time the 'oppo' goalie boots it. Self-policing by fans is the best way to fix this…now would be a good time to start."
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact the LGBT Foundation on 0345 3 30 30 30, 10am–6pm Monday to Friday, or email [email protected]
James Moorhouse