Mexico's vibrant World Cup atmosphere is once again being overshadowed by a recurring homophobic chant from its fans. The one-word slur, 'puto,' typically chanted when an opposing goalkeeper prepares to take a goal kick, has been present at the tournament for the fourth consecutive time. This behavior has persisted despite extensive efforts by the Mexican Football Federation to curb the abuse.

Before the tournament's commencement, Mexican soccer officials launched a campaign titled 'La Ola Sí, El Grito No' ('The Wave Yes, The Scream No'). This initiative featured members of the 1986 World Cup team encouraging fans to perform the wave instead of chanting the slur. However, these efforts appear to have been largely ignored, as the chant has been audible since Mexico's opening game.

The chant, which translates to 'male prostitute' in Spanish, first gained widespread attention during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and has since been a recurring issue in the 2018 and 2022 tournaments.

The repeated use of the slur has drawn sharp criticism on social media. Users have expressed frustration with FIFA's handling of the situation, with one X user named Juan Arango writing, 'All these years "fighting homophobic chants" and they yell "puto" four times and nothing. FIFA are a joke... because they went after Mexico years ago. Now this and their hypocrisy exudes.' Another account, Red Card Riot, directly tagged FIFA, urging them to make Mexico forfeit the game.

Mexico has faced sanctions from FIFA in the past for similar incidents. A recent ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) addressed a series of appeals related to Mexico versus FIFA cases, stemming from incidents as far back as the 2014 World Cup. The latest case followed FIFA prosecutions of incidents at games in 2024 involving Bolivia, Uruguay, Brazil, and the United States. Anti-discrimination monitors, who are also working at the current World Cup, recorded the chant.

In March, CAS judges upheld FIFA-imposed fines totaling 140,000 Swiss francs ($178,000). However, they lifted a sanction that would have resulted in closing part of a stadium during a FIFA-organized game. The court acknowledged the Mexican federation's mitigation efforts, noting that they had implemented measures since 2015 to educate, prevent, and eradicate the chant. Despite these efforts, the judges observed that the fans' conduct was