Mexico’s soccer team will play its first two World Cup qualifying home matches against Jamaica on Sept. 2 without their fans, who used an anti-gay chant during last spring’s pre-Olympic tournament in Guadalajara, reports the Los Angeles Times.
The Mexico fans chanted “puto,” which means a “male prostitute” and is considered anti-gay.
The fans were caught using the same anti-gay chant, tossing drinks and throwing bottles at the USA team during Mexico’s recent 3-1 loss at the Nations League final (video above). American player Gio Reyna was hit in the face by an object, sending him to the locker room.
The behavior happened despite an education campaign waged by the Mexican federation, which was fined $73,000 following an investigation by FIFA, the world soccer governing body. Mexico was fined nine times over its fans’ use of the chant during qualifying for the 2018 World Cup.
(Sources: Los Angeles Times, Mike DiMare/YouTube)