Mexico could face sanctions after their supporters chanted homophobic chants during Thursday’s CONCAF Nations League semifinal against the United States.
When United States goalkeeper Matt Turner fielded the ball, fans chanted “Poto” – a homophobic slur – and play was briefly stopped while supporters were warned.
“Poto” Silver means male prostitute but in Mexican Spanish it roughly translates to “faggot” and is widely used to insult someone’s manhood.
The chant has long been an issue for Mexico’s soccer federation, which has been fined on several occasions and has urged supporters to stop the practice.
CONCACAF issued a statement after the game at Allegiant Stadium, which the United States won 3-0, saying it “strongly condemned” what it called “discriminatory chants”.
“Match officials activated the anti-discrimination protocol due to chants heard during the game. Additionally, security personnel ejected several fans for engaging in unacceptable behavior in the stadium,” said the confederation, which governs soccer in North and Central America and the Caribbean.
“These events were extremely disappointing and tarnished what should have been a positive opportunity to showcase high-quality football in our region,” the statement added.
“The confederation is immediately in the process of establishing further details and reports from security and match officials and will make a further statement in short order”.
Numerous fines were handed down to Mexico over the years, totaling more than $650,000, and they were forced to play behind closed doors against Jamaica in September 2021.
The Mexican Football Federation (FMF) introduced a system of online ticket registration and QR codes for attendees at their home games to identify and ban any offenders and prevent the use of the slogan. could
Mexico will co-host the 2026 World Cup with the United States and Canada, and last year federation president Yun de Luisa warned it was at risk of losing hosting rights over the chant.
A heated game ended with two players from both teams throwing objects and drinks onto the field from the Mexican supporters.
Laser pointers were also aimed at Turner and other players on the field.
