MEXICO CITY (AP) — A Mexican fan used a chant that appeared to be homophobic during the first half of a World Cup Round of 32 game against Ecuador on Tuesday night.
The chant is a one-word slur meaning male prostitute in Spanish, and is usually uttered when an opposing goalkeeper takes a goal kick.
The fans did so at the five-minute mark, when Hernán Galíndez took the first goal kick of the game.
It was the second time during the tournament that fans used the chant, and the Mexican federation was fined several times by FIFA.
The chant originated during a match between Mexico and the United States in the Olympic qualifying tournament in Guadalajara, but it became popular during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
The atmosphere was tense even before the first whistle.
Mexico Fans gathered until late last night And early Tuesday morning outside an Ecuadorian hotel in Mexico City, they and a DJ used horns, drums, motorcycles and cars to make noise for their rivals.
Tensions between fan bases reflect the depth of geopolitical rifts. Diplomatic relations between the two countries were severed From April 2024 onwardsEcuadorian police raided the Mexican embassy in Quito and arrested the country’s former vice president, Jorge Glass, who had been granted political asylum.
Ecuadorian President Daniel Novoa recently expressed a desire to mend relations, but Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said last Monday that she would not discuss the issue until the high-stakes game is over.
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