The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) has taken decisive measures to combat hate speech, as it issued an official invitation to South Korean YouTuber Yoon Soo-jin, the content creator on the “InoCat” channel, to attend her country’s national team’s match against Mexico in the 2026 World Cup.
This official gesture came after the content creator was the victim of racist behavior by a Mexican fan during a previous Group A match between South Korea and the Czech Republic in the Mexican city of Guadalajara, which ended in favor of the Korean Samson with a score of (2-1).
The details of the incident go back to a video clip broadcast by Yoon Soo Jin, in which a Mexican fan appeared initially waving to the camera before making a racist, insulting gesture by pulling the corners of his eyes outward, a movement known as “slanting eyes” that aims to offend the people of East Asia. Immediately after the clip spread widely and caused a wave of widespread anger on social media platforms, the identity of the fan was identified, and it turned out that he is called Ulises Fernando Bernal Miramontes, who holds the position of president of the Society of Surveyors. And geodesists in the Mexican state of Jalisco, which prompted the association to immediately remove him from his position under the pressure of popular discontent, after which Bernal came out in a video clip offering a public apology to the YouTuber, the Korean community, and the Mexican people.
As part of its strict policy of zero tolerance for racism and discrimination, FIFA announced that it would ban the Mexican fan’s account and prevent him from purchasing match tickets. FIFA also clarified that the South Korea-Mexico match will carry strong anti-hate messages and promote the values of respect and tolerance, especially since it coincides with the International Day Against Hate Speech approved by the United Nations.
For her part, the South Korean YouTuber confirmed her acceptance of FIFA’s invitation, noting in her post that her exposure to this situation was “a very sad moment,” but she stressed that an individual act cannot represent the Mexican people, whom she described as very kind.
