The Concacaf Nations League final between Mexico and Panama on Sunday night in Los Angeles was briefly stopped because of anti-gay chants from the crowd at SoFi Stadium. In the 82nd minute, Concacaf first warned the crowd, and then paused the game a few minutes later. After a short pause, the game continued and Mexico won against Panama 2-1.
This is the third consecutive year that anti-gay chants have disrupted the competition, also happening in the 2023 semifinal between the USA and Mexico, and in the 2024 final between the same teams.
Mexico won the game thanks to a late penalty by Raul Jimenez in the 92nd minute, which was his second goal of the match. This victory was Mexico`s first Concacaf Nations League title. Earlier on Sunday, the USA team lost to Canada in the third-place match.
History of Anti-Discrimination Issues
In previous Nations League finals, games involving Mexico have been stopped due to fans using anti-gay chants. In 2021, Mexico`s semifinal win against Costa Rica was paused for three minutes during a penalty shootout, and some fans were removed from the stadium. A few days later, in the Nations League final against the USA, the game was paused again for three minutes during added time in the second half. It also occurred again in 2024.
Concacaf Anti-Discrimination Policy
Before the first Nations League finals in 2021, Concacaf implemented a three-step policy, following FIFA guidelines about discriminatory language from fans.
According to this policy, if the referee hears discriminatory behavior, the game will be temporarily stopped. Then, an announcement will be made in the stadium and a message will be displayed on screens, explaining why the game was stopped and asking fans to stop using discriminatory language.
If the chants continue, the referee can suspend the game, sending teams to the locker room for a period decided by officials, followed by further announcements. As a final step, the referee has the power to abandon the match.
