Mexico football body loses CAS fight over FIFA fines for homophobic chant

LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP): With the World Cup due to begin in Mexico City in a matter of days, Mexico's football federation on Tuesday failed in another attempt to overturn FIFA action linked to supporters using an anti-gay insult against rival players.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport delivered the newest decision in a run of disputes between Mexico and FIFA stretching back more than a decade. It comes before Mexico's men's team faces South Africa on June 11 at the Azteca Stadium, a venue where the chant has frequently been reported.

The abuse is a single Spanish word, literally translated as male prostitute, and is most often shouted when the opposing goalkeeper takes a goal kick.

It spread widely during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and returned at the 2018 tournament in Russia and the 2022 edition in Qatar. Mexican supporters have continued the chant despite appeals and education efforts by their own federation to curb the behaviour.

The latest CAS matter arose from FIFA disciplinary cases over incidents in 2024 matches involving Bolivia, Uruguay, Brazil, and the United States. Anti-discrimination observers detected the chant, and similar monitors are set to be deployed by FIFA across the World Cup's 104 matches in Mexico, the US, and Canada.

CAS said its panel confirmed FIFA fines amounting to 140,000 Swiss francs, or US$178,000. However, the judges removed a penalty that would have required part of a stadium to be closed for a FIFA-run match, including a possible World Cup fixture.

The court said the panel, during a March hearing in Miami, considered Mexico's argument that the federation had "put measures in place since 2015 to educate, prevent, and eradicate the chant".

"They (the judges) observed that the conduct of the fans was collective and widespread and not merely a one-off occurrence," CAS said in a statement.

While acknowledging the "unique nature" of the problem confronting Mexican football authorities, the court ruled that the federation could still be held responsible.

Mexico is also scheduled to stage World Cup group matches against South Korea in Guadalajara and the Czech Republic at Azteca.