Mexico fans hurl homophobic slur at Ecuador team in World Cup match
Raul Jimenez of Mexico scores during the FIFA World Cup 2026 (Image: Getty Images)
Mexican fans are reported to have used a homophobic one-word slur during the first half of their World Cup round-of-32 match against Ecuador in Mexico City on Tuesday night.
According to AP, the chant was “a one-word slur that means male prostitute in Spanish” and is usually heard when the opposing goalkeeper takes a goal kick.
Fans allegedly used the word around five minutes in, when Hernán Galíndez was doing a goal kick.
This isn’t the first time Mexican fans have used the chant during a tournament. Past use has seen the Mexican Federation hit with a number of fines from FIFA. However in 2018, players asked fans to avoid using it – which they reportedly did.
The match took place on Tuesday, 30 June 2026, with the chant reported during the first half. The chant is said to have originated during a Mexico vs United States match at an Olympic Games qualifying tournament in Guadalajara, before going viral at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Why it matters for LGBTQ+ fans
Mexico supporters have repeatedly been criticised for the Spanish-language chant aimed at opposing goalkeepers, which LGBTQ+ groups and football authorities have described as homophobic. FIFA and CONCACAF have previously introduced anti-discrimination protocols, including stadium announcements and match stoppages, to deter discriminatory chanting.
Host nations and organisers often face heightened scrutiny over inclusion and fan behaviour at major tournaments.
The tension between the fan bases was also linked to a wider political backdrop, with diplomatic relations between Mexico and Ecuador severed since April 2024 after Ecuadorian police raided the Mexican embassy in Quito to arrest Jorge Glas, the former vice president, who had been granted political asylum.
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