Mexico City — The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled Tuesday that the Mexican Football Federation (FMF) must pay fines imposed by FIFA for homophobic chants by fans during friendly matches in 2024.
The ruling came in response to an appeal by the FMF, which managed to reduce some of the original sanctions. CAS annulled an order to close 15% of the stadium stands for Mexico’s next official match but upheld financial penalties ranging from approximately $76,310 to $101,747 for fan behavior during friendlies against Bolivia, Uruguay, and the United States.
The FMF argued it had made “the greatest possible efforts to educate, prevent, and eradicate” the chant, which fans direct at opposing goalkeepers. However, the appeal was unsuccessful.
The chant — “ehhh puto” — has cost the federation more than 20 similar sanctions in the past, with fines totaling an estimated 13.7 million Mexican pesos.
With Mexico set to co-host the 2026 World Cup alongside the United States and Canada, the federation has launched campaigns to curb the behavior, so far without success. CAS acknowledged the federation’s efforts but concluded that the conduct persists and that preventive measures were insufficient to exonerate the FMF.
