Mexico fans will not stop chanting the anti-gay slur “puto” during matches with the Mexican men’s soccer team, whether it’s during a qualifying match or a friendly.
That is the message fans sent clearly during the CONCACAF Nations League semifinal and bronze-medal match in which El Tri competed.
The slur was also heard during Mexico’s friendly against Cameroon in San Diego earlier this Pride month. Yet US Soccer, the organizer of the event, didn’t report on it, as far as Outsports could tell.
So why would US Soccer try to bury such a discriminatory chant, that the organization had identified?
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The chant has been an issue of contention for some fans of Mexico and other Latin American countries. FIFA and other countries have correctly identified the chant as targeting sexual orientation.
The “puto” chant is intended to demean a male athlete for having sex with another male person. This is clearly and obviously homophobic.
Yet some fans of Mexico and other countries claim it is their birth right to scream this chant, which is clearly anti-gay in its nature.
On social media, US Soccer made a vague reference to “discriminatory chanting,” clearly avoiding the conversation about homophobia and anti-gay chanting.
Mexico is slated to host FIFA World Cup matches in 2026.
Mexico lost, 3-0, in its discriminatory-laden Nations League semifinal match against the United States. They won bronze in their match against Panama. Of course, that would have been an utter embarrassment if they had lost.
It is yet to be seen the consequences Mexico will face for its fans’ digressions. They will likely be harsh. Yet we can’t ignore the utter failures of CONCACAF and US Soccer on this issue.
