SOCCER
Will fans be able to attend the Mexican national team’s next match?
FIFA sanctioned the Mexican Football Federation due to the behaviour of supporters in matches at the Qatar 2022 World Cup.
In the matches played by the Mexican national team against Poland and Saudi Arabia at the World Cup in Qatar last November, fans reacted to the team’s perceived poor performances – and ultimate early elimination – by directing homophobic chants at the players. This prompted the FIFA Disciplinary Committee to sanction the Mexican Football Federation with a fine and the threat of being forced to play one match in a FIFA competition behind closed doors. However, the Federation has now confirmed that fans will be able to attend El Tri’s next game on Mexican soil.
Mexico have been hit with similar sanctions in the past, as this tweet from 2021 shows.
“Having asked FIFA for clarification regarding the severity of the sanction, it has been confirmed that spectators will be able to attend the Mexican national team’s next home fixture, on the understanding that the Mexican Football Federation is in an observation period of two years. This means that any further discriminatory behaviour by Mexican fans may lead to FIFA enforcing the ban,’ reads the statement.
When is Mexico’s next match?
El Tri’s next match is scheduled to played on 23 March against Suriname in the CONCACAF Nations League, with their next home fixture seeing them host Jamaica three days later. Although Marcelo Bielsa has been heavily linked with the vacant head coach position, nothing has as yet been confirmed.