"When people are using homophobic language, whether it's intentional or not, it can be very detrimental." Mexico incurred the CONCACAF protocols after the chant was heard during June's Nations League final against the U.S., prompting yet another push to eradicate it from stadiums. "Soccer itself is a medium for change, and we need to recognize how impactful language can be," said Janelly Farias, a defender on Mexico's women's national team who is gay.
The FMF boss uttered the slur while condemning its use among fans. It's not."ĭe Luisa's conference itself served as an example of the disconnect that exists regarding the slur's usage in parts of Mexican culture.
"To those who think it's fun to, I have news for you. "The chant is discriminatory and is moving us away from FIFA competitions," Mexican federation president Yon de Luisa said in response during a news conference. The FMF has embarked on an all-out media campaign against the chant since FIFA's disciplinary committee announced the latest sanctions June 18 because of a recurrence of the behavior during CONCACAF pre-Olympic qualifying in the spring. will solicit potentially dire consequences such as a ban from next year's World Cup in Qatar. Yet in the aftermath of receiving the most significant sanctions to date - two official home games behind closed doors - the federation is fearful that defiant Mexico followers at this month's CONCACAF Gold Cup in the U.S. It has been fined 15 times since the 2014 World Cup because of the chant. In Mexico, it is a vulgar insult synonymous with cowardice when directed at another person and is considered offensive toward the LGBTQ+ community.Īs the overseer of the country's national teams, the Mexican federation (FMF) had ignored this behavior even in the face of FIFA punishment. The word has various definitions, among them " male prostitute" or "sodomite," depending on the cultural context. have incorporated an anti-gay slur into a chant aimed at opposing goalkeepers. So it is jarring to consider that fan allegiance to a controversial stadium tradition could ban El Tri from next year's World Cup and strip Mexico of co-hosting duties in 2026.įor about two decades, some El Tri fans gathered in packed stadiums in Mexico and the U.S. The Mexican men's national team can make a case that it is the most popular soccer team in two countries.