Argentina, Brazil and Mexico fined by FIFA over homophobic football chants
Football associations in three countries have been fined by governing body FIFA as their fans have failed to stop using homophobic chants.
FIFA fined Argentina, Brazil and Mexico for the chants by fans at qualifying matches for the 2018 World Cup.
Fines of 35,000 Swiss Francs (£27,250) and 20,000 (£15,600) were levied against Brazil and Argentina’s football governing bodies respectively.
And Mexico’s football association was fined 10,000 Swiss Francs (£7,800).
According to FIFA, the fines were “for incidents involving discriminatory and unsporting conduct by fans, including homophobic chants”.
FIFA did not specify which matches the chants were made at, but it has warned the countries before about homophobic chants.
The Mexican national football squad’s goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa earlier this year appealed to fans to stop using a homophobic chant following a number of fines and punishments.
The Mexico Football Federation (FMF) gave evidence at the highest court in sport, the Court of Arbitration against the fines, arguing that the chant ‘puto’ is not homophobic.
The fines were imposed totalling 85,000 Swiss francs following five World Cup qualifying matches since November 2015.
‘Puto’ was chanted by fans at the matches while opposition goalkeepers were taking goal kicks
Mexico was not the only team to be fined for the offence, as other teams’ fans also made similar chants which are heard across Latin American football.
FIFA in December issued bigger fines to England’s football association for wearing poppies than it has to countries whose fans chanted homophobic abuse.
The country’s fans frequently scream the anti-gay slur “puto”, a derogatory word for a male prostitute or gay man.
Chile was in December given yet another stadium ban by FIFA after their fans failed to stop using homophobic chants at matches.
