But there is no doubt the chant is most prominent among Mexico fans. “To call your opponent homosexual is definitely along a spectrum of machismo, whereby your opponent is weaker – less masculine,” says Joshua Nadel, author of Fútbol!: Why Soccer Matters in Latin America.
During the World Cup, Fifa will have observers at all 64 matches and will work with security to remove fans engaging in discriminatory behavior, a spokesperson for the world governing body told the Guardian.
“I think that a lot of the hand-wringing is for show,” says Nadel, an assistant professor of Latin American and Caribbean history at North Carolina Central University. “If Fifa and/or the [Mexican federation] can plausibly say, ‘Look, we’re trying to stop it,’ then they can quiet critics without imposing some form of sanction that has real teeth. I’m not saying that they don’t care, but it isn’t among the top priorities of any federation or confederation.”
On Sunday, the chant made its first appearance in the 25th minute when Manuel Neuer lined up a kick. Quickly taken German goalkicks later in the game seemed to soften its presence.
Lamenting Fifa’s perceived inaction on the issue in 2014, Slate’s Juliana Jiménez Jaramillo wrote: “They can abstractly consider what the word means, but they don’t understand the visceral gut punch you feel when you hear a slur in your native language. The Mexican team’s officials, on the other hand, know exactly what puto means. At the very least, they could give a symbolic statement denouncing it, even if it still takes decades for the fans to catch up.”
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