On Thursday, FIFA announced that it will be investigating claims that Mexico fans had chanted anti-gay slurs during their national team's opener against Cameroon. A report by AP-Sports observed that anti-gay slur chants were heard in all of Mexico's matches in the 2014 World Cup, with the latest during its game against Brazil in Fortaleza on Tuesday. The offensive chants are heard whenever a keeper takes a goal kick, the report said.
Daily Mail said the decision to investigate in the matter started when the Fare network contacted he world soccer body relating to discriminatory chanting at the World Cup. The allegations had centered on the use of a word that when translated to English, means "whore."
FIFA has confirmed to the British tabloid that it has been contacted by the interest group about the incident and that it has started its investigation the first time Mexico fans allegedly committed the offense during its first tournament game.
FIFA said in a statement, "FIFA takes a firm, zero-tolerance stance against any form of discrimination and racism and this is enshrined in the FIFA Statutes in article 3 which stipulates that: 'Discrimination of any kind against a Country, private person or group of people on account of race, skin color, ethnic, national or social origin, gender, language, religion, political opinion or any other opinion, wealth, birth or any other status, sexual orientation or any other reason is strictly prohibited and punishable by suspension or expulsion."
Ahead of the global football tourament, FIFA President Sepp Blatter and Brazil President Dilma Rousseff has joined forces and promised to use the World Cup as an international platform to combat discrimination and racism, Yahoo Sports said.
Aside from alerting FIFA about the offensive chants, Fare also alerted the organization about the far-right banners that have been displayed by both Croatia and Russia dans inside the official venues.
