Liga MX fans will be removed for homophobic chant
There’s a spanish word some Mexico soccer fans yell at the other team’s goalie during a match.
It’s slang for male sex worker, and gay rights groups say it’s ultimately homophobic.
Yell it during a match next season and you’ll get kicked out of the stadium.
Those rules go into effect this week, said Liga MX President Mikel Arriola on Wednesday.
"We are going to take the measure of removing people who are chanting from the stadium, and it sends a message of zero tolerance to people who use such terrible expressions."
The new rule came after FIFA, the international governing body for soccer, sanctioned Mexico’s national team for the crowd’s controversial shout.
In fact, FIFA has punished the Mexican Soccer Federation several times since the word became popular over a decade ago.
The chant was widely heard in the 2014 World Cup, hosted by Brazil.
FIFA took no action then, but clamped down with fines in 2016 when it was heard again in Japan and Russia in 2018.
Most recently, FIFA banned Mexico’s crowds from attending its first two World Cup qualifying matches later this year.
They were also fined nearly $70,000 in March for chants against Dominican Republic and United States players.
The Mexican National team has taken steps to avoid further punishment, as they’re set to co-host the 2026 tournament.
They’ve launched an anti-discrimination campaign directly addressing the chant and swore to remove fans who continue to use it.
