According to RMC, Mexican fans have continued chanting discriminatory slogans at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, sparking renewed controversy. Despite penalties and intervention efforts by FIFA and the Mexican Football Federation, supporters refuse to stop.
Mexico started their FIFA World Cup campaign strongly, winning all three matches in Group A. As one of the hosts for this summer's tournament, Mexico has secured a spot in the round of 16 and is awaiting its next opponent. However, Mexico's journey has been marred by a discrimination controversy stemming from fans chanting an infamous slogan whenever the opposing goalkeeper takes a goal kick.
Some spectators shout "Eeeeh Puto!" during opponent goal kicks, a phrase with clear insulting and discriminatory connotations. This chant appeared in Mexico's opening match against South Africa, their group stage match against South Korea, and was heard again during Mexico's 3-0 victory over the Czech Republic when Kovar took a goal kick. FIFA has been deeply angered, as it has been working to eliminate this chant for years.
After FIFA penalties, the Mexican Football Federation struggles to stop El Grito
As early as the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, FIFA explicitly opposed this chant by Mexican fans. Twelve years prior, after Mexico played Cameroon, FIFA even launched an investigation into the "improper conduct" of El Tri supporters. Shortly after, the Mexican Football Federation was fined for fans chanting discriminatory slogans.
The same occurred at the 2017 Confederations Cup and the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. After Mexico defeated Germany in the group stage, fans' discriminatory chants prompted FIFA to issue more fines. The 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar was no exception.
The Mexican football association had previously urged fans to replace El Grito with a human wave and launched a campaign ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup: "Human wave, no El Grito." They also issued a formal appeal urging supporters to stop chanting this discriminatory slogan.
Mexican players stated as early as June 2017: "FIFA takes very seriously the chant we make when the opposing goalkeeper takes a goal kick, and the potential penalties are severe. Continuing to do so will not help our efforts on the field. It will only make things worse if we lose games, matches are interrupted, or fans are ejected from the stadium because of it. We will lose, you will lose, and we all will lose."
Fans view the chant as part of football tradition
Repeated appeals from the Mexican Football Federation have failed to convince local fans to abandon El Grito, and FIFA's numerous fines have already cost the federation hundreds of thousands of euros. Yet El Tri supporters continue chanting "Eeeeh Puto" because, in their view, it is part of stadium culture.
The origins of this chant are difficult to pinpoint. In 2018, the BBC suggested it originated in American football stadiums in Monterrey during the 1980s before entering local football grounds around 2000 and gradually becoming part of the national team tradition during an Olympic qualifier in 2003. Le Parisien, however, offers a different account: the chant originated in 2000 when Atlas Guadalajara fans insulted former goalkeeper Oswaldo Sánchez after he transferred to their arch-rivals, Chivas.
Several recent surveys by Mexican media reveal that many Mexican fans do not necessarily view El Grito as a discriminatory chant, but rather as an insult directed at the opposing goalkeeper. This echoes the ongoing debate surrounding the word "enculé" in Ligue 1, an insult frequently heard in French stadiums as well.
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