The Mexican men’s national soccer team will be forced to play two home World Cup qualifiers in empty stadiums as a consequence for fans' continued yelling of a homophobic chant in recent October matches.
The Mexican soccer federation was also fined 100,000 Swiss francs ($110,000) for charges of “discriminatory behavior by supporters.” This isn’t the first time the organization receives a punishment for the slur, but stands as the latest in the long-standing campaign to stop fans from directing abuse at opposing players.
FIFA first imposed sanctions on Mexico for the infamous chant in June, announcing the team’s first two home qualifiers would be played behind closed doors.
Consequently, the Azteca was empty when Mexico kicked off their road to Qatar in September against Jamaica.
Now, Mexico will host Costa Rica on January 30 and Panama on February 2 in an empty stadium, set to cost the organization millions of dollars in lost revenue.
