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Mexico's national team will take center stage during the 2026 World Cup.
Matches are set to take place at three landmarks of Mexican soccer, both old and new, led by the venerable Azteca Stadium.
Given the tournament's location, El Tri will serve as one of its biggest attractions. Mexico's players will be greeted by thousands of their compatriots when they take the pitch, all of whom will be singing their praises as they take the field.
Unfortunately, that might not be the only chant Mexican fans will sing on match day. El Tri's passionate fan base has come under scrutiny for its use of a homophobic and deeply offensive slur during games.
Here's what you need to know.
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What does Mexico chant during soccer games?
Mexican national team fans often serenade opposition side's goalkeepers with "puto", a Spanish term that roughly translates to "gay prostitute." The chant rings whenever the other side's goalkeeper is set to take a goal kick. Supporters of the chant claim that the term holds multiple cultural meanings in Mexico and other Spanish-speaking countries.
Nevertheless, use of the epithet has gotten El Tri in hot water in recent years, prompting some inside and outside of Mexico's soccer institutions to call for a phasing out of the term.
"The federation wanted to find other meanings for it. It has no other meanings; it's a homophobic one," said Andoni Bello, an LGBTQ+ activist who played for the country in amateur soccer tournaments organized by the International Gay and Lesbian Football Association, per ESPN. "We call on sponsors, institutions, players, teams, and fans to change the way they view people and their sexuality."
Puto meaning in English
At its kindest reading, "puto" roughly translates to "male prostitute" in English. Like many slang terms, the word has different meanings based on different contexts. In some sentences, "puto" is a Spanish shorthand for "f—g", serving as a vulgar embellishment like "goddamn" or "bloody."
More often than not, however, the term is to demean gay people. It's most akin to the homophobic slur "f—t" in the English language.
“To call your opponent homosexual is definitely along a spectrum of machismo, whereby your opponent is weaker – less masculine,” said Joshua Nadel, author of "Futbol!" Why Soccer Matters in Latin America."
When did Mexico's anti-gay chants start?
The origins of Mexico's anti-gay chants are somewhat murky. The general story, as explained by The Guardian's Victor Balta in 2018, is that the chant began at club level. In the mid-2000s, two high-level Mexican goalkeepers — Oswaldo Sanchez and Oscar Perez — were greeted with the chant when they turned out for Liga MX sides Guadalajara and Cruz Azul, respectively.
By 2004, the hymn was a part of Team Mexico's song sheet, taking hold of the concourses in Guadalajara when the United States traveled there for a pre-Olympic tournament. Thousands of Tapatios draped U.S. goalkeeper DJ Countess in the ugly term as El Tri walked out 4-0 winners.
The epithet has remained a part of some people's lexicons in the years since its introduction. Many have expressed frustration with this sordid fact.
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FIFA fines Mexico for homophobic chant
The Mexican soccer federation has faced FIFA's wrath more times than most in recent years. Soccer's governing body has expressed a desire to stamp out discrimination from the sport in recent years. Mexico's chant goes against those stated aims. As such, El Tri has been subjected to shell hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines.
With that, here's a look at the various sanctions that have befallen Mexico after the homophobic chant spilled from the country's concourses.
Jan. 2023
FIFA ordered Mexico to pay a $114,000 fine and play one World Cup qualifier behind closed doors after homophobic chants rang out during 2022 World Cup matches against Poland and Saudi Arabia.
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Oct. 2023
The chant returned with a vengeance during El Tri's CONCACAF Nations League match with the United States in Oct. 2023. The offensive refrain took hold Mexico's section at Allegiant Stadium, prompting FIFA to initiate a three-step process in the hopes of stopping fans from continuing to perform the chant.
The cheer was present throughout the match. It was at its most vociferous in the 89th minute when Matt Turner readied to send a ball down the field on a goal kick.
Referees had planned on stopping the match after 12 minutes of added time. After seven minutes, however, the match was called. The Americans emerged 3-0 winners on the day. They got plenty of vitriol in their pursuit of it.
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2024
FIFA imposed fines totaling 140,000 Swiss francs (about $178,000) after prosecuting incidents in which the slur was chanted during matches against Bolivia, Uruguay, Brazil and the United States in 2024.
Mexico attempted to appeal the ruling, taking the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in hopes that the penalties would be overturned. CAS ruled in FIFA's favor, finding that the chants were "collective and widespread." CAS also determined that Mexico's soccer federation should bear some responsibility for the use of the homophobic chant.
What is Mexico doing about the homophobic chant?
After initially dismissing criticisms of the term as lacking context, the Mexican soccer federation began taking steps to dissuade use of the slur. El Tri started an anti-discrimination campaign, urging the national team's fanbase to spurn the term.
Among the strategies implemented to snuff out use of the term at games, Mexico has vowed to eject offending fans found to have uttered the term at games.
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Match organizers aligned themselves to FIFA's three-step edict regarding discriminatory incidents in 2019. In the event that discrimination occurs during a game, the following directives will be follow:
- Step 1: Match stoppage and warning to fans
- Step 2: Match suspension and players moved to benches
- Step 3: Abandonment of the match
In 2022, Mexico announced that those found to have sang the term during a match could be subject to stadium ban of up to five years.
What happens if Mexico uses chant in World Cup?
In the event that the homophobic slur returns to airwaves during one of Mexico's matches, the expectation is that match organizers will abide by FIFA's three-step protocol.
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The match will be stopped as a warning is issued to the fans. If the chants continue, the match will be suspended, with players and other personnel moved to their benches.
Lastly, if the chant continues, referees and other match organizers are liable to abandon the match entirely.
English (US)