CAS Upholds FIFA Fines Against Mexico

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has partially upheld appeals filed by the Mexican Football Federation (FMF) against FIFA sanctions related to the continued use of a homophobic chant by Mexican supporters, while confirming that the federation must pay a combined CHF 140,000 in fines.

In a ruling issued on Monday, CAS upheld separate fines of CHF 60,000 and CHF 80,000 imposed by FIFA following incidents during four Mexico men's national team matches in 2024. However, the court overturned a separate sanction requiring a 15% partial stadium closure for Mexico's next FIFA-sanctioned match.

The disciplinary cases stemmed from reports by FIFA's anti-discrimination monitoring system during friendly matches against Bolivia, Uruguay and Brazil in the summer of 2024, as well as a separate friendly against the United States in October of that year. Two of the summer fixtures were temporarily suspended after the chant was heard from sections of the crowd.

FIFA's Disciplinary Commission found the FMF responsible for the conduct of its supporters and issued sanctions in two separate proceedings. The federation challenged both decisions before CAS, arguing that it had invested significant resources since 2015 in campaigns designed to educate fans and eliminate the chant from stadiums.

The FMF also contended that FIFA's disciplinary measures had proven ineffective in changing supporter behaviour and described the incidents as isolated and brief. The federation sought either the cancellation of the sanctions or the implementation of a joint action plan with FIFA in place of what it characterised as disproportionate punishments.

A CAS panel heard the two appeals together during an in-person hearing in Miami on March 3, 2026. After reviewing evidence from both parties and examining match footage, the panel concluded that the offending behaviour was collective and widespread rather than incidental.

"The prohibited conduct persists," the panel found, determining that the preventative measures introduced by the FMF did not provide sufficient grounds to exempt the federation from responsibility under FIFA regulations.

CAS acknowledged the federation's efforts to combat the chant, noting that substantial financial resources had been devoted to education and prevention initiatives. Nevertheless, the panel concluded that the fines imposed by FIFA were proportionate and represented the appropriate disciplinary response.

The appeal relating to the October 2024 friendly against the United States was dismissed in full, leaving the CHF 80,000 fine intact.

However, CAS partially sided with the FMF regarding the sanctions stemming from the three summer 2024 friendlies. The panel ruled that FIFA had applied an unjustified double standard when handling proceedings involving substantially similar facts and therefore annulled the 15% stadium closure sanction while maintaining the CHF 60,000 fine.

The ruling represents a mixed outcome for Mexican football authorities, who succeeded in overturning one of FIFA's sporting sanctions but remain financially liable for the repeated incidents involving supporters.

Unless either party requests confidentiality, CAS said the full written decisions, including the detailed legal reasoning behind the awards, will be published on its website at a later date.

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