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SportsMexican fans direct homophobic slur at England goalkeeper Pickford during World Cup match
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During a 2026 World Cup Round of 16 match at Mexico's Azteca Stadium, Mexican fans directed homophobic chants at England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford as he prepared to take a goal kick. The crowd shouted the slur 'puto,' which carries explicit homophobic connotations in Mexico. This incident follows a pattern of similar behavior; during the group stage, Mexican fans targeted the Czech goalkeeper. Mexico has a history of FIFA penalties for such conduct, including fines of 10,000 Swiss francs in 2018 and 100,000 Swiss francs in 2022. In a 2024 friendly against Brazil, Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson was also targeted, leading to a match interruption. To address the issue ahead of the home-hosted World Cup, the Mexican Football Federation launched a campaign in May called 'Wave, Don't Hurl,' featuring legend Hugo Sánchez, encouraging fans to perform the Mexican wave instead of discriminatory chants.
Source report
Hupu Football News | 3 minutes ago
Hupu, July 6 – According to Brazil's Globo Esporte, Mexican fans directed insulting slogans at England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford during a match at the iconic Azteca Stadium. The incident occurred as Pickford prepared to take a goal kick, with fans in the stands shouting the homophobic slur "puto" in unison.
This is not an isolated case. Mexican football has been repeatedly penalized by FIFA for similar fan behavior.
Incident Details
The match took place on Sunday local time as part of the Round of 16 in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. During the first half, when Pickford was about to take a goal kick, spectators collectively directed the insult at him. In Mexico, the word "puto" carries explicitly homophobic connotations and is widely regarded as a severe insult.
This marked the second such violation in the tournament. Earlier, during the group stage match in which Mexico defeated the Czech Republic 3-0, local fans had also directed the same chant at the Czech goalkeeper.
History of Penalties
The Mexican team has faced repeated sanctions for similar fan conduct:
- 2018 FIFA World Cup (Russia): During the match against Germany, fans persisted with the chants despite prior appeals from the Mexican Football Federation. Mexico was fined 10,000 Swiss francs.
- 2022 FIFA World Cup (Qatar): History repeated itself, and FIFA increased the penalty to 100,000 Swiss francs.
- 2024 friendly match: In a game between the United States and Brazil, Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson was also targeted. The match was interrupted in the 13th minute of the second half, and the stadium's big screen displayed messages urging fans to stop the offensive chants.
Campaign to Address the Issue
To avoid harsher penalties during the World Cup hosted on home soil, the Mexican Football Federation launched a campaign in May titled "Wave, Not Insults."
The campaign involved football legends such as Hugo Sánchez. Its primary goal was to encourage fans to preserve the iconic "Mexican wave" tradition—which gained worldwide popularity during the 1986 World Cup—while calling for a complete rejection of discriminatory chants.
Source: Brazil's Globo Esporte
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Just now, during Kane's celebration, they even threw beer. Liked (2) | Reply
So uncivilized. Liked (0) | Reply Expand all replies
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虎扑 - 足球Regional
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Mexican Fans' Homophobic Chants Mar 2026 World Cup Matches