We’ve gotten to the point where if Mexico’s National Team is playing fútbol, you can easily predict that homophobic chants are going to happen. It never happens when they’re winning, of course. Instead, the crowd of Mexican fans will usually start chanting “puto, puto, puto,” when their team is down. When they feel like they need to get under the other team’s skin. And that was exactly the scene that transpired during the team’s 2-0 loss to the United States during the CONCACAF Nations League Finals on March 24, 2024.
After about five rounds of the chant, the game was stopped. Mexican players pleaded with the fans to stop, and some fans were expelled from the stadium. Anti-discrimination messages were also displayed on the AT&T Stadium screens. After the game, CONCACAF released a statement condemning the “discriminatory chanting” and expressing disappointment that “this matter continues to be an issue.”
But that was all CONCACAF did. FIFA didn’t even say anything about it, even though fútbol’s governing body recently fined both Brazil and Argentina — the recent World Cup Champion and the team with the most World Cups in history — with heavy fines over the brawl that took place in the stands at Brazil the last time the two teams faced each other.
Mexico has enough history with the chant to warrant CONCACAF — or FIFA — doing something about it, too. Over the last few years, they’ve had to pay fines totaling over half a million for this same issue. Mexico has also been forced to play without fans due to the same chant. And yet the chant continues. Mexico gets a slap on the wrist. The fans try to justify it. And on and on we go.
The explanations and excuses are familiar. The chant has, at this point, been around for at least a decade, perhaps longer. And yet, there’s a tendency in fútbol circles in Mexico to downplay the implications of “puto,” a word that means male prostitute, but that is commonly used as a slur against gay people. Some say the word isn’t actually a slur. Others just want to be contrary.
But the chant continues mostly because the Mexican National Team has never been punished in a way that would make fans rethink the chant. And it’s about time FIFA did just that.
In 2026 Mexico will co-host the World Cup alongside the U.S. and Canada. There would be no greater embarrassment than a full stadium of Mexican fans chanting “puto” as their team or another team plays. FIFA needs to nip this in the bud, now. The only way to do it is to hit Mexican fans where it hurts: the Mexican National Team.
Kick them off the Copa America and give their spot to the next best team. Or, punish them without a home audience for more than a game. Do it for a significant amount of time so their fans understand that the chant cannot be used as a way to control gameplay. If Mexican fans cannot stop chanting “puto” every time a rival touches the ball, the country shouldn’t be hosting a World Cup game. In fact, the country shouldn’t be hosting fútbol at all if these discriminatory chants continue to happen with no real consequences.
Fútbol shouldn’t be a game that forces players to put up with racist and homophobic chants. They should be playing and representing their countries or teams. That’s it. And it’s up to the sports governing bodies to make it the beautiful game FIFA claims it is by protecting the players. That’s why it’s time for Mexico to face consequences from FIFA and for the organization to make it clear that this bad behavior will not be tolerated any longer.
