US Soccer to enforce new policy regarding anti-gay chants for Mexico game
Luke Gentile
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United States Soccer Federation officials announced they would enforce a new protocol relating to anti-gay chants Wednesday when the U.S. men’s national team takes on rival Mexico.
The policy for dealing with homophobic jeering was first approved by the USSF in 2022, but it was ratified last month during the body’s 2023 Annual General Meeting, according to a report.
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Regarding Wednesday’s game against Mexico, the USSF will work with the Mexican Football Federation and Soccer United Marketing to enforce the policy, officials said.
“U.S. Soccer takes the issue of discriminatory behavior seriously and strictly prohibits any derogatory chant,” a USSF statement read.
“We are following and will fully enforce policy 521-2 at this and in all future matches. With FMF and SUM, we have worked proactively to prevent any discriminatory chant at our upcoming match by communicating the Fan Code of Conduct to attendees before the event and will continue that communication in-venue. The FIFA three-step process will be implemented, and violations will be addressed.”
FIFA’s three-step process has been utilized in the past few years, the report noted.
Step one states that soccer fans will be given a warning to stop any discriminatory chant as part of a two-minute suspension of play.
Should chanting continue, players on the pitch will be sent to their dressing rooms during a 10-minute suspension of play.
Step three, the final measure, consists of the cancellation of the match if the chanting does not end.
Mexican fans have a history of producing anti-gay chants, including slurs in Spanish that they yell during an opposing team’s goal kick.
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The FMF was fined a reported $108,000 related to discriminatory chants at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Kickoff between the United States vs. Mexico game is slated for 10:00 p.m.