FIFA needs to step up, take real action against Mexico fans for homophobic slur

Enough with the pretty pleases, the warnings and the half-hearted penalties.

If FIFA and Concacaf are serious about silencing the appalling, homophobic chant by Mexico fans, they need to impose a meaningful punishment once and for all. Tell Mexico it will lose its right to host World Cup games in 2026 if fans don’t cease and desist. If FIFA is unwilling to upset the long-planned arrangements for the men’s tournament — and the accompanying riches — dock El Tri points ahead of the World Cup’s group stage.

Those penalties might sound extreme but, at this point, what other choice is there?

Despite repeated requests and lackluster disciplinary measures, Mexico fans continue taunting opposing goalkeepers with a homophobic slur referring to a male prostitute. They were practically gleeful using it during Thursday night’s Nations League semifinal loss to the U.S. men, the chant echoing throughout Allegiant Stadium in the late stages of the game.

The referee should have intervened far earlier than he did, pausing the game twice before blowing the final whistle with several minutes of stoppage time left. But it’s unlikely the fans would have been chastened even if he had stopped the game after the first time the slur was heard, given the gusto with which they shouted it at U.S. goalkeeper Matt Turner.

“It goes against everything that we stand for,” Turner said, according to the Los Angeles Times. “We’ve been very open and vocal about, you know, the strength of our team being our diversity, the strength of our nation being its diversity. So to use something so divisive during a game, a spirited game … it has no place in the game.”

It doesn’t. Soccer is known as the beautiful game because of its rhythm, flow and grace, but also because it’s accessible to everyone. All you need is a ball — or some paper and tape or, in a real pinch, a bunch of socks — and you can play. Your size, your color, your gender, your nationality, your sexual orientation — none of that matters.

But that purity of the game is often ruined by its fans. Brazil’s men wore black jerseys for the first time in the team’s illustrious history Saturday to call attention to the vicious racism young star Vinicius Jr. has been subjected to in Spain, where he plays professionally. Members of the LGBTQ+ community have no illusions about how Mexico fans feel about them.

“These incidents were extremely disappointing and tarnished what should have been a positive occasion to showcase high-quality football in our region,” Concacaf said in a statement after the game.

Yes, they were. Yes, they did. Again.

So the time for niceties is over.

FIFA and Concacaf have to do something that exacts enough pain on Mexico fans that they’ll decide the delight they get from shouting the vulgar term is not worth the consequences. And El Tri having to play in an empty stadium, as they did last year during World Cup qualifying, isn’t enough. Neither is the Mexico federation’s threat to ban individuals from future games for five years.

Forcing Mexico to forfeit a World Cup qualifier as punishment might have had the desired effect. But El Tri, like the USMNT and Canada, doesn’t have to go through qualifying as co-hosts of the 2026 tournament. And waiting for 2030 qualifying isn’t an option. Not when Mexico will host multiple games in 2026, at least some of which will include El Tri.

Which means the harshest of punishments are the only options. No more of this three-step process in which fans are asked to stop their behavior before a game is abandoned, either. It doesn’t work. Warn Mexico fans before every game that, if the chant is heard, the game will be stopped immediately and either the country will be stripped of World Cup games or El Tri will be docked points.

Fans will no doubt wonder if FIFA and Concacaf will follow through on the threat, but would they really be willing to risk it? Do they really want to find out, if it all but guarantees Mexico exiting a World Cup on home soil in the group stage?

This has gone on long enough. If FIFA and Concacaf don't take strong action now to end the slurs once and for all, their cowardice is as contemptible as the chant itself.

Follow USA TODAY Sports columnist Nancy Armour on Twitter @nrarmour.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mexico fans' homophobic chant requires real action from FIFA, Concacaf