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The Mexican Football Federation (FMF) has been given a fine and one-match supporters’ ban due to discriminatory chants by fans at the 2022 World Cup, FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee announced on Friday.
The chants were heard during Mexico’s group stage games against Poland and Saudi Arabia.
“The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has sanctioned the Mexican Football Association with a fine of CHF 100,000 ($108,000) and one match in a FIFA competition to be played behind closed doors by its men’s national team (suspended for a probationary period) for breaches of article 13 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code (Discrimination) in light of chants by Mexican supporters,” read a statement from the governing body.
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Along with Mexico, FIFA also listed punishments for the football associations from Ecuador, Serbia and Croatia for acts of discrimination by fans at the World Cup.
A disciplinary case was also opened against the Argentine Football Association for alleged offensive player misconduct and violations of fair play at the World Cup final. FIFA cited its media and marketing regulations for prosecuting the case, which appears to relate to a boisterous celebration by players running through the interview zone after the game on Dec. 18.
During the recent tournament, FIFA announced that they had begun an investigation into discriminatory chants from Mexico supporters in the group stage. The men’s national team has dealt with previous sanctions by FIFA due to the recurring anti-gay chant heard during goal kicks for opposing teams.
In 2021, FIFA agreed to reduce a two-game sanction without fans in World Cup qualifying to one after the FMF stated that they would begin more efforts to curtail the chant at home games, which have included a three-step procedure that pauses matches.
Mexico’s federation also issued a statement in early 2022 that they would enact a five-year stadium ban for any supporter found taking part in the anti-gay chant.
Part of the procedure for supporter enforcement involved online fan registration last year, which led to an additional fine on Friday by Mexico’s INAI (National Institute of Transparency, Access to Information and Protection of Personal Data). According to a press release by the FMF, the undisclosed fine is “related to the stadium attendance registration process.”
The FMF stated that the settlement with the INAI is “not related at all” to a new Fan ID process that Liga MX has utilized for stadium entry and safety. Following a riot in Queretaro’s Estadio Corregidora last March, Liga MX implemented Fan ID technology to register supporters in attendance at stadiums.
At the World Cup, Mexico fell below expectations after being knocked out in the group stage of the tournament. Immediately following their last match in Qatar, manager Gerardo “Tata” Martino announced that his contract was over with the team.
The FMF has yet to announce a replacement for Martino. El Tri’s next matches are away against Suriname (March 23) and at home against Jamaica (March 26) in the CONCACAF Nations League.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.